Rock Creek School Feasibility Study

• Rock Creek School Feasibility Study: Executive Summary
• Rock Creek School Feasibility Study: Part One: Report
• Rock Creek School Feasibility Study: Part Two: Appendices

Overview

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has begun the lengthy process of determining what a modern, 21st century facility for the Rock Creek School (RCS) might look like. Watch the following video for an overview of the project goals and process.

Background

RCS, located at 191 Waverley Drive in Frederick City, opened in 1972 as a special education day school. The school provides individualized special education programs for Frederick County students with severe intellectual, physical, emotional, hearing, visual and learning disabilities, from age 3 through the school year they reach 21 by offering a  life-skills curriculum with emphasis on functional academic skills, social skills training, community-based instruction, personal management and communication skills. Related services include adapted art, music and physical education, swimming, physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy.

Rock Creek School's mission is to provide a safe, respectful, caring and enjoyable learning environment in which students can develop communication and independent-living skills to achieve their full potential at school, at home and in their communities.

RCS is located on a 20 acre campus with Waverley Elementary School. It is a 55,214 sq. ft., single story building. While there have been occasional systemic improvements to the building, no significant renovations or additions have been made in the past 43 years.

Rock Creek Study Process

This process will happen in two phases:

1. Educational Specification Phase – development of a document outlining physical spaces needed to provide the Rock Creek educational program (Spring 2015 – Fall 2015). The Educational Specification document was approved by the BOE on November 18,2015.
2. Feasibility Study Phase – assessment of the whether the current building can be renovated to meet the Rock Creek program needs or if a new building is needed (Fall 2015 – Spring 2016)

Visit the links above to view the scope of each phase, a list of team members, a schedule of team meetings, and meeting minutes. The project is anticipated to take approximately 12 months. The consultant for this project is Grimm and Parker Architects.

The study is overseen by a steering committee whose purpose is to ensure that the project objectives are met, establish a community engagement plan for the various phases of the project, select a consultant to prepare educational specifications and feasibility study, review progress of the project, and provide guidance for the Educational Specification and Feasibility Study teams as necessary. Read more about the steering committee.

In an effort to broaden community participation in this project, two separate teams will review and guide the consultant’s work during each phase of the project. The meetings of the teams overseeing each phase are open to the public.

Community Engagement

As this process unfolds over many months, we'll be sharing detailed information with you at every step. We will be working to seek, gather, and respond to community input and ideas throughout the process; the community must and will be an integral part of determining the future of the Rock Creek facility. A schedule of public meetings and information events will be posted and will be regularly updated as more events are added.

Watch regularly scheduled Rock Creek School project meetings.

Watch archived Rock Creek School project meetings.

Schedule Overview

BOE approves Architect Selection	March 11, 2015
Create Educational Specification	April - October 2015
BOE approves Ed Spec	November 2015
Prepare Feasibility Study	November 2015 - May 2016
BOE approves Study Recommendation	June 2016