D-11 deal would trade space for space lab services

A proposed agreement between Colorado Springs School District 11 and the U.S. Space Foundation would provide rent-free space to the foundation in exchange for curriculum development and space laboratory services for students and teachers at the district's fledgling space and technology middle school.

The proposed contract will be considered by the D-11 board at its meeting Wednesday and if approved would go into effect on Thursday. The full agreement and other details of the proposed partnership were posted Friday on the D-11 Web site as part of the meeting agenda.

Officials from D-11 and the foundation have been negotiating a partnership for use of the former Emerson Edison Middle School since late February when the D-11 board decided to close Irving Middle School and proceed with plans to convert Emerson to a space and technology school run by the district.

Emerson, which is expected to get a new name at Wednesday's meeting, has been an Edison charter school but restructuring was mandated by the state because of poor performance. Edison did not apply in December to renew its charter.

The proposed contract would be for five years, with three five-year options that would renew automatically unless either party seeks to change or cancel the contract.

Among the key provisions are:
· The foundation would have the use of Building C on the campus rent-free. The estimated value for the first five years is $344,000.
· The Space Foundation will reimburse the district for utilities and other operational costs if it uses district services.
· D-11 will provide about $60,000 in one-time renovations, including asbestos abatement.
· The foundation will offer space curriculum and various space laboratories to students and teachers. The estimated value in the first five years is $510,000.
· Beginning in second year of the contract, D-11 will receive 10 percent of all revenue the foundation receives for out-of-district students and teachers who attend classes, laboratories or workshops on the Emerson campus. The estimated revenue for the first five years is $144,000.

The 18-page contract also details some of the services the Space Foundation is expected to provide to the middle school students, beginning with Emerson students in the upcoming school year and to other D-11 middle school students beginning in the second year.

The Emerson students will participate in the Science, Technology and Academic Readiness for Space (STARS) program this year.

The six-week program involves 90 minutes of instruction per week and follow-up activities for the classroom teachers. It includes rocketry principles, astronomy, earth systems science and principles of flight.

The foundation also expects to offer a mission control lab and a planetary rover lab. It has plans for a Science on a Sphere Lab, developed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to help illustrate Earth system sciences, but it is contingent on "adequate facilities on the Emerson campus" and donations to purchase the lab, according to the proposed agreement.

The foundation also would provide training for Emerson teachers, and eventually for teachers of fifth graders who would attend Emerson and ninth-grade math and science teachers at Mitchell High School, which would receive most of Emerson's students.

The district is proposing a new name for the restructured middle school. The top recommendation from a committee that considers recommendations submitted by the public is the Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy. Swigert, a Denver native, was an astronaut on the ill-fated Apollo 13 moon mission.

The runner-up choice is Samuel Avalos Middle School. Avalos was a D-11 graduate who was disabled in a car crash while in college.

He became a teacher and coach in D-11 and retired in 2007. He recently died of cancer.
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D-11 meeting
The regular board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the district administration building, 1115 N. El Paso St. The meeting also is televised live on Channel 16.

More online
See the full D-11 agenda at www.d11.org/novus/meetings.aspx

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