Along with Thursday's announcement that Superintendent Charlotte Macaluso recommended the closure of Heroes K-8 Academy and Minnequa Elementary School comes seven reorganization options — only two not involving bond measures — that would close one or two high schools, specifically Centennial, East or South.

Pending the D60 board of education's formal vote, expected at April 9 special meeting, those two schools would be shuttered, with Minnequa Elementary School becoming a preschool center. Along with Heroes and Minnequa, a stakeholder group representing all grade levels cited Carlile and Bradford elementary schools as candidates for closure.

Although no future action was suggested on Carlile and Bradford, Macaluso did express concerns about Carlile, which has $10 million in total building renovations needs and a 53 percent utilization rate.

An informational meeting on the proposed closure of Heroes is planned for 6 p.m. Monday, with Minnequa hosting a similar forum at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Macaluso's recommendations, although more immediate, are a small part of the overall picture in a master plan the district contracted to MOA Architects. The report cites the perilous state of the district’s aging facilities and tens of millions of dollars it would cost for upgrades and repairs.

It also presents more than 10 options for addressing critical needs, including school closures, consolidations, repairs and new school construction, with scenarios reflecting "bond passed" and "no bond passed" scenarios.

The seven recommendations served as a starting point for discussions among community stakeholder groups. After a series of meetings, participants identified a set of priorities that Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Morey delivered to the board:

• A "no-bond passed" scenario estimated at $16.2 million, D60 would become a three-high school district, with no new school construction. East High School would close, with students consolidating into the three remaining high schools. Centennial High School would receive repairs to its foundation and HVAC systems. Roncalli STEM Academy would close, with its students consolidating into Central High School to form a 6-12 STEM program.

• Another "no-bond passed" scenario is a $4.2 million two-high school model. East and South High School would close, as would Roncalli, which would consolidate with Pueblo Academy of the Arts and Heaton Middle School.

• A $315 million bond that is a two-high school model, with two new 2,000-student capacity high schools proposed: one in the northeast area and the other in a southcentral location. Roncalli would close, with students directed to PAA, Heaton and Risley International Academy of Innovation. Additionally, "Priority 1" and "Priority 2" building improvements would be made at schools unnamed in the proposals.

• A three-high school model that relies on a $254 million bond. Two new 1,200-student schools would be built to replace Centennial and East. Upgrades would be made to Central High School. Students at South High School would move to Central, with Roncalli and PAA students moving into South, where a STEAM program would be established. Additionally, Priority 1 improvements would be made to Central and South.

• A three-high school model with $254 million bond. To replace Centennial and East, two new 1,200-student high schools would be built, with Central students relocated to South. Central, in turn, would host PAA and Roncalli students, with a STEAM program established. Central and South would benefit from Priority 1 improvements.

• In the first of two four-high school landscapes, passage of a $267 million bond would see two new 1,000-student high schools built to replace Centennial and East. Central and South would benefit from Priority 1 and 2 improvements. Roncalli would close, consolidating to Central form a 6-12 STEM program.

• In the second, which would require passage of a $291 million bond, two new 1,200-student high schools would be built to replace Centennial and East. Priority 1 and 2 improvements would be made to Central and South, with Roncalli consolidating to Central to form a 6-12 STEM program.

Next week, the options will be presented to the community in two expo-style open houses: 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Pueblo Convention Center and 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Fortino Ballroom of Pueblo Community College, with representatives from the district and MOA Architects expected to be present both times. Feedback will be accepted on "comment cards."

The information culled from the open houses would be forwarded to the combined stakeholder group, which is expected to meet on April 8 to narrow the proposals to two and present them to the D60 board.

In April, a community phone survey to gauge interest in a bond measure is slated, to be followed by a board decision on whether to present a measure, and in what amount, to voters in November.

In the commentary that followed Morey's report, Board Member Dennis Maes questioned the reasoning behind putting "no-bond" proposals — especially one with a $16 million price tag — in front of the community for feedback.

Such discussion, he said, must only come if a bond measure fails to pass, or if a facility crisis or situation emerges.

"I think these should be off the table," Maes said of the "no-bond" options. "It isn't an option for us to say if we don't have a bond, that somehow or another we're going to be able to come up with $16 million to have a three-high school district. That's ridiculous. It's a waste of time — a pie in the sky discussion."

Board Vice President Frank Latino, however, expressed a desire to see every option put forth by the stakeholder group presented during the upcoming forums.

"The general public needs to know," Latino said. "And I think this is what this is all about: trying to inform the general taxpayer. We have to make sure they know and understand what the scenarios are — 'no bond,' 'bond.'"

The board decided each option would be presented for feedback at the forums, and no public "vote" would be taken on the two "no-bond" scenarios.

jpompia@chieftain.com

Twitter: @jpompia