Markham Colocation Update

Dear Markham community,

Dr. Brown-Warrens recently shared the results of a school survey about the current colocation sites and how they are functioning for students and staff. The majority of families expressed a strong desire for district leaders to work toward easing overcrowding at the four host schools and providing Markham students with a richer, more stable learning environment.

We continue to explore options to achieve those goals.

Portable Classrooms Update

As we mentioned in this update, district facilities staff have been looking into the possibility of installing portable classrooms on the campuses of Capitol Hill and Hayhurst. We had hoped to be able to use the portables to house all of the Markham students currently located at Maplewood and Rieke, which would cut the colocation sites down from four to two.

The vendor who supplies us with portables evaluated both Capitol Hill and Hayhurst and informed us yesterday afternoon that Capitol Hill cannot safely accommodate any such units. We are continuing to consider Hayhurst as a possible site for portables and should know more soon about the feasibility of installing units there.

Technology Access

All Markham students should have a Chromebook and headphones to aid in learning. If your student has not yet received their devices, please contact their teacher.

Additional Student Support Staff

The district’s human resources and student success and health teams have approved two additional counselors to serve the Markham community for the duration of the colocation. The counselors’ assignments and locations will be determined by Dr. Brown-Warrens.

Childcare for Markham Students

Mountain Park Church is still in the process of obtaining the necessary licensure to be able to provide childcare to students currently enrolled with the Markham Children’s Care Association (MCCA). MCCA families can begin the registration process here.

Reopening Timeline

We know that this has been an incredibly anxious time for the entire Markham community. The fluid nature of reconstruction work and setbacks in our relocation plans have given rise to rumors and misunderstandings. For instance, in a recent community meeting with Robert Gray Middle School families, Lydia Neill, the district’s Director of Project Management and Construction, expressed that she was more confident about the reopening timeline for Gray than she was for Markham. Ms. Neill was simply referring to the fact that the scale and scope of damage at Markham is greater than it is at Gray. We are fully committed to reopening Markham this fall and giving students and staff a beautiful building to return to.

We will be in touch again early next week with more information.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon Franco, Chief of Schools

Dan Jung, Director of Operations