The Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education voted 5-1 to approve the purchase of just over $24,000 worth of furnishings for the new Welcome Center at the Orpheum Theatre during Tuesday night’s regular meeting, but not before some members asked questions about the long-term plans for the building and how it will be utilized.

Superintendent Theron Schutte said things were quickly coming together as the opening of the Welcome Center draws nearer, and he explained that the request was for furniture in the classroom at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

According to Schutte, the current plan is to offer a class instructed by MCSD Director of Technology Amy Harmsen on digital technologies and content creation with relation to the digital scoreboards, the district website and the wall of fame set to be installed on the first floor of the Orpheum. There are four “video production and/or graphic design type” computer stations set up along with a green screen, and the room has a divider that would allow it to be partitioned off into two separate classrooms if needed.

While the space could potentially accommodate between 25 and 30 students, Schutte said 15 to 20 was a more realistic goal for the initial class. Another class that will be offered out of the Welcome Center during the first semester of the upcoming school year will be an independent study focused on content creation, digital photography, videography and “things related to capturing what we have of the history and the artifacts from the Orpheum from the Jean Seberg collection.”

Delivery of the furniture is expected by June or July, and Schutte said the money for the purchase would be pulled from the general fund. The floor was then opened up to questions from the board, and board member Jan McGinnis asked for more details about the class being offered and how students would be transported to the downtown building from the high school.

“Ideally, we want to create opportunities that can accommodate up to a half day experience, so if need be, we would be able to transport kids at the beginning of the day, over the noon hour or at the end of the day,” Schutte said. “I think this particular course is gonna lend itself predominantly to juniors and seniors who generally have their own transportation, but if they don’t, we’ll be able to work with them and accommodate them.”

Fellow board member Leah Stanley wondered if there was a lack of space available at the high school and why the class needed to be housed in a separate building. Schutte responded that space was tight at the high school especially with the larger class sizes of recent years, and he said the goal was to develop a “learning space” that can be used in a multitude of ways.

“One of the things that’s been a challenge for us is we haven’t been able to retain some teachers who were planning on offering classes there as well, so we’re in the process of trying to hire teachers who can do some work-based learning type of work,” Schutte said.

He added that the opportunities at the center would depend on who the district can hire, but he said they would continue to examine different ways to use the space — potentially rotating by the semester — even if they weren’t all determined at the present time.

Still, McGinnis and Stanley remained skeptical.

“I can see some potential for this, but then I look at what we have in the community with the public rooms at the public library and things like that, and I’m wondering ‘Will this really be used well?’ Are we gonna furnish this room and have it sit unused?” she asked. “I’m not sure we have a clear plan on how we want it to be used.”

Stanley worried about only using the space for one class, and McGinnis suggested holding writers workshop type events for elementary students. In response, Schutte contended that formulating a formal plan for the building would be an ongoing process.

“From the very beginning, we’ve never said that we’re gonna have a plan on how to fully utilize this space for curriculum. Right out of the chute, I think what I’ve said consistently is that we’re gonna try to build over time,” he said. “Our goal was to provide offerings that could accommodate, if students so chose, half day opportunities over there with multiple classes.”

Schutte offered to hold a work session on curriculum at the Welcome Center with High School Principal Jacque Wyant, Director of Instruction Shauna Smith and Marshalltown Learning Academy Principal Eric Goslinga to further explore future opportunities. A motion to approve the purchase at a total cost of $24,065.03 ultimately carried 5-1 (Bonnie Lowry was absent), with Stanley opposing.

At the conclusion of regular business, the board went into closed session for two student disciplinary hearings.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the consent agenda as listed.

• Heard a “Computer science is elementary” report from Erica Finders, Lindsay Stanton and Kyle Young.

• Received the final student school board representative update of the year from Jaxson Eisenbarth, Abraham Madrigal Farias and Yessenia Alvarez Zamora.

• Approved the list of 2023 graduates as presented by Wyant.

• Approved a first reading of board policies 506.2 — E1, 507.1 and 507.4.

• Approved a TNTP proposal in partnership with Central Rivers AEA that will include all day professional learning opportunities for instructional coaches, curriculum and professional development leaders, administration and professional learning communities at a cost of $60,773 utilizing ESSER learning loss funds.

• Heard an update on the new website from MCSD Communications Director Abby Koch.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.

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