Fleetwood Area School District Hosts Community Forum

The Fleetwood Area School District hosted a community forum on 11 October 2018 to discuss information presented regarding enrollment and demographics in the district. The district brought in Charles Watters of the Pennsylvania Economy League and James Thompson of Thompson Associates Architects and Planners to present information from studies they performed.

The district held this community forum to inform members of the community so they can participate and help in future decisions.

“The purpose of the forum was to inform the community and to solicit input from the group. My perspective is that informing and collecting input from the community is a critical step in any major decision,” superintendent of school Dr. Greg Miller said.

There were many Fleetwood community members present, filling up the Willow Creek cafeteria. Their input will be considered in future decisions by the school board.

The first speaker, Charles Watters, presented his findings. He and other members of the Pennsylvania Economic League projected future enrollment trends in Fleetwood. To do this they reviewed populations and births in the town. They also took a look at housing markets, relationships, and other key indicators. With all this information, Watters was able to generate advanced models and projections to assess future enrollment and trends for the Fleetwood Area School District.

The whole purpose of Watter’s presentation was to inform the community. Similarly, James Thompson presented information regarding the capacity and state of the buildings under the district’s ownership.

After the two presentations, the groups of community members responded to three essential questions. Their answers were written down and will be used as input for future decisions and meetings.

“Technically, the final say of how we proceed is up to the school board.  Therefore, the community forum and input collected from them is critical to inform the board of what the community is thinking on this topic. During the November 8th community forum, we will be revisiting the ideas provided and will work with those in attendance to try to drill down to an overarching perspective from the community.” Dr. Miller said.

The community’s input is essential and valuable to the school board and Dr. Miller, and they look forward to the next community forum on November 8th