Community Meetings Set to Shape Future of Oswego School District 308

Oswego School District 308 is providing community members with an opportunity to voice their opinions on the district’s future. The district has organized a series of community meetings aimed at developing a master facility plan to address both current and future facility needs. These meetings commenced in September and will continue this month, with the next session scheduled for 6 p.m. on October 22, 2023, at Thompson Junior High School located at 440 Boulder Hill Pass, Oswego. A virtual meeting will follow on October 27, 2023, at 7 p.m.

The meetings are facilitated by Wight & Company, an architectural, engineering, and construction firm that specializes in educational environments. In October 2022, the school board unanimously approved a contract worth $380,000 with Wight & Company to develop a comprehensive master facility plan.

During a community meeting held on September 10, 2023, Stuart Brodsky, principal at Wight & Company, outlined the firm’s objectives. He emphasized their focus on designing educational spaces that promote health and sustainability. “We specialize in designing educational learning environments, particularly early childhood through 12th grade,” Brodsky stated. “We also specialize in designing healthy and sustainable learning environments, which means creating buildings that are good stewards of the environment and are comfortable for students.”

Wight & Company has been assessing the physical conditions of the district’s buildings, including roofs, windows, mechanical systems, and lighting. Brodsky noted that the evaluation also includes educational alignment, which refers to tailoring learning environments to meet the district’s strategic goals.

In terms of improving educational alignment, the master facility plan proposes various suggestions, including modernizing administrative spaces at Murphy Junior High, enhancing science labs at Oswego High School, and increasing student parking at Oswego East High School. Notably, approximately 80% of the district’s buildings were constructed between 1995 and 2010. Wight & Company acknowledged that while the district has maintained its facilities well, none are in critical condition.

For those interested in learning more about the long-range facility plan for Oswego School District 308, additional information is available on the district’s website at sd308.org. The community’s input will play a crucial role in shaping the district’s educational environment and addressing its future needs.