Location Meeting Summary from May 19th

On this past Tuesday morning, Location Committee members Karl Welsh, Tony Romano and Yukio Tesuka joined Pat Brady, of Binswanger, to visit four sites. The sites visited included the Limekiln Simmons Elementary School on Limekiln Pike in Horsham, an office building with adjacent empty lot on New Street in Glenside, a Catholic School on East Willow Grove Avenue in Wyndmoor, and an old vacated public school building on Madison Avenue in Ft. Washington. Of the properties we saw, it is easiest to envision Oak Lane transitioning to the Simmons Elementary School site because of the obvious fit for functionality and plentiful outdoor space. The other properties presented more limitations and did not satisfy as well some of the basic criteria we had for our site evaluation.

As we toured the four sites and evaluated their viability, we considered several important criteria that included: (1) square footage, (2) outside space for play/exploration, (3) multi-purpose space, (4) location, (5) availability, and (6) summer camp possibilities. Another very important criteria being considered is affordability. This last criteria makes Oak Lane's situation not a good fit for a traditional real estate search for several reasons: First, the school will have very little cash reserves going forward to use toward the purchase or lease of a new location; second, the school does not have an operating surplus to draw from to use toward these expenses; and third, the school does not want to incur any debt. This means the school will need to identify a location where the owner is willing to accept a tenant that will pay a modest lease, cover utilities, and maintain the building space. The properties that will likely be most viable, will be ones that are not openly on the market and instead will likely come to our attention by knocking at doors, discovering through members in our community, and/or from contacting a wide variety of institutions to see if they have vacant or underutilized space. Three of the four properties we saw on Tuesday fit this category.

The encouraging news is that we are finding that these properties do exist. Also, it is unlikely that owners of these type of institutional properties will easily find tenants for such spaces, so despite our financial limitations, we may still be an attractive tenant for the right organization. At the Oak Lane in Transition meeting Tuesday night, a summary of the visits was provided as well as a slide presentation that included photographs of each site. An outcome of the discussion at the meeting included direction to have Binswanger begin an informal conversation with the Hatboro-Horsham School District to express our needs and to "test the waters" to see if there is potential in this site. Additionally, it was agreed to have John Binswanger contact Temple University to ask if there is space that will become available on the Temple Ambler property. Additional leads from people attending the meeting Tuesday included Chestnut Hill College, St. Anthony's in Ambler, Upper Dublin Lutheran, Zion Lutheran and the New Covenant Church as well as a couple locations near Papermill Road. Pat Brady, of Binswanger, has been asked to contact each of these locations to inquire about availability. The Location Committee will continue a search and exhaust all leads before making any decisions regarding which direction to take. As tours to visit sites are arranged, Committee members will be notified and encouraged to come.

One site, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Flourtown, that could not be visited on Tuesday because of logistics was seen Wednesday morning. The Schoolhouse on their property will likely become available soon. While the building space was tight, there appears to be sufficient space to meet the needs of the school temporarily in its present enrollment size. The location is good and there may be some potential for summer camp opportunities too. A limitation to this location is access to outdoor space for play and exploration. While it is a very large property the available outdoor play space for play is a considerable distance from the school building and may not be practical for the ages we serve and the priority we place on outdoor programming. Information regarding what St. Thomas Church might charge for the space is being gathered by a committee member, but early indications are that it would be modest.

As the Location Committee continues its work, updates regarding this property and others being considered will be provided on a regular and on-going basis.

-- Karl Welsh, Head of School --

Summary of Meeting held on Tuesday, May 5

During times of transition and change, questions arise and open discussion is critical. With this in mind, several meetings were held over the past week.

The faculty and staff met once to discuss the transition process, ask questions and share their thoughts. From that meeting it was determined that there was a need to select by consensus a core group of faculty leaders to help guide the transition process. The faculty agreed quickly that there should be representation from each division as well as "the specials" and that those representatives would be: Judy Leigh, from the pre-primary division; Sharon Fichthorn, from the primary division; Martha Platt, from the intermediate division; and Trina Gable, from "the specials."

Over 20 parents met on Tuesday, May 5th for a meeting similar to that of the faculty. The parents held a round-table discussion to explore the process of Oak Lane's transition, ask questions, share their thoughts, and build consensus as to what next steps are needed to secure a bright future for Oak Lane Day School.

The message in both the parent and faculty meetings was one of the need for significant change in the school leadership and for more transparency, particularly with regards to the work of the Board. Both groups expressed a desire for open board meetings and a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities for board members, as well as the selection criteria used in the nominating process. Everyone agreed that thought should be put to what areas of expertise are needed to run a healthy organization and potential trustees with such expertise should be identified to lead the organization during this time of transition. Finally, the need for change balanced with continuity was expressed.

It was agreed that a time-line for the transition process needs to be established with key tasks and decisions clearly marked and defined. There was consensus that the transition process should be such that ideas are being brought forward, feedback is received, and consensus is built. There were several parents who would also like to see things moving swiftly yet thoughtfully.

The meetings were positive in tone and the commitment and strategic thinking of the faculty and parents clear. The next meeting will be held on May 19 at 7 p.m. in the school library. The anticipated agenda is to hear an update from the Location Committee and plan next steps.