Community learns restructuring options for 2012-2013 school year
At a community meeting this evening, the district’s educational planner presented the following data-driven recommendations for the upcoming 2012-13 school year:
· Burton students will be reassigned, with a majority* of K-5 students assigned to Connell, Diehl, and McKinley based on proposed attendance boundaries.
· Glenwood students will be reassigned, with a majority* of K-5 students assigned to Perry, Pfeiffer-Burleigh, Jefferson, and Grover Cleveland and 6th grade students reassigned to Roosevelt and Wilson based on proposed attendance boundaries.
· Irving students will be reassigned, with a majority* of K-5 students assigned to Perry, Pfeiffer-Burleigh, and Grover Cleveland and a majority of 6th grade students reassigned to Roosevelt based on proposed attendance boundaries.
* Students will be assigned to schools based on their residential address, consistent with proposed attendance boundaries.
In addition, the following school reconfigurations will accommodate K-5 students and teachers from the above schools and provide improved middle school resources to students in grades 6-8:
· Grover Cleveland will be reconfigured to a K-5 school. The school’s current 6-8 grade students will be reassigned to Roosevelt Middle School.
· Jefferson will be reconfigured to a K-5 school. The school’s current 6-8 grade students will be reassigned to Wilson Middle School.
· Perry will be reconfigured to a K-5 school. The school’s current 6-8 grade students will be reassigned to Roosevelt Middle School.
If approved, student school assignments will be determined and communicated to families before June 30, 2012. It is important to note that these are data-driven recommendations for consideration by the Board of School Directors. The district will hold a series of informational parent/community meetings at each of these schools to answer questions and gather feedback from the school community.
We understand these changes will not be popular, but given the fact that our current infrastructure far exceeds what our student enrollment can justify, they are necessary. Despite a declining city population and shrinking financial resources, our current system involves an excess capacity of more than 7,000 seats, aging buildings, an inequitable distribution of educational resources, and schools located away from the students they primarily serve. This situation is not only inefficient, but it deprives students attending some of our schools the resources they need for academic success. This is unacceptable and results in unnecessary costs for taxpayers.
While logic clearly suggests these options are necessary, we also understand the emotional connection that students, parents, and staff members have with their schools. Recognizing the significance of this realignment, the school district will:
· provide additional counseling and support resources in the coming weeks for students and staff at affected schools;
· share information with teachers and parents on helping children cope with school transitions;
· schedule parent meetings in each school and open houses to welcome new families; and
· update the community via our website (click on "optimization plan") and provide timely and accurate information to local media.
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