An ipetition landed in my email. Here’s what it says:
Protest of Red Clay School Board’s Attendance Zone Decision for Cooke Elementary School
We demand that the Red Clay Consolidated School District School Board reverse their October 15 decision to deviate from the Attendance Zone feeder pattern that had been presented by the Attendance Zone Committee and accepted by the community. This last-minute decision undermined six months of work by the Attendance Zone Committee and did not give the community an opportunity to voice concerns. The students of Lancaster Court Apartments will not benefit from this decision, and the decision contradicts the Neighborhood Schools Act. The Board’s action was not ethical and the decision is not acceptable.
So… I made some calls to try and figure out what happened. I’m piecing this together from various conversations, so if anyone has additional insight please let me know. Here’s what I heard:
It seems Lancaster Court Apartments were added to Cooke Elementary’s attendance zone instead of Marbrook’s due to Marbrook’s plan to add Pre-K and the additional space needed for that program. I was also told that Cooke has the space, and several people I spoke with said that Cooke was projected to be under capacity. Let me know if you’ve heard anything different.
Redrawing attendance zones is always a nightmare. People end up unhappy. But this is actually the first time I can remember the fight being about keeping a community out. Normally, the battle consists of moving a neighborhood into a preferred attendance zone.
But this petition is interesting. Let’s take a look at the comments on this petition:
“Everyone MUST show up at the 11/19 (6:30PM) Shcool Board meeting at Brandywine Springs School. It’s our chance to be heard and to get the board to reverse their decision!!!”
Fair enough. Everyone should attend school board meetings and speak their mind. I’m all for that. The second comment appears to be from the organizers of the ipetition:
“Absolutely agreed, Xudong! Board member Cathy Thompson (the only Board Member to vote AGAINST this motion) said that if we have an awesome turnout at the meeting, then there is a chance for the decision to be reversed!!! Show up no later than 6:30 at Brandywine Springs School prepared to share your points in 3 minutes or less. Main points can include:
1) The Board’s decision was not the right thing to do;
2) The community was given no voice as a result of their last-minute action;
3) This decision is NOT in the best interest of Lancaster Court Apartment students as they will not be eligible for Title 1 (special school funding and other benefits) that they would receive at another school. How is this helping students??
4) This decision violates the Neighborhood Schools Act;
5) Passing of the upcoming referendum is at risk if this decision is not reversed
The more presence we have at the meeting, the more of an impact we will make!!!”
Um… why would they think students who qualify would not be eligible for Title 1, special school funding and other benefits. This point is perplexing – and I’m thinking the writers don’t understand Title 1. Are they saying that Cooke Elementary, a public school, won’t/can’t serve all public school kids? How would that work? If someone in the Cooke attendance zone lost their job and needed school services would they have to leave Cooke? Of course not. So what really is their point?
The final comment asks some questions:
“Hi, I am a concerned Red Clay parent, too, and I’d like to hear more details about the negative reaction to the inclusion of this community in the Cooke attendance zone? I think there might be some confusion about the way Title I funding works and its purpose, as well as the applicability of the Neighborhood Schools Act to our district at this time. What is the concern, really? Please advise…”
Can’t wait to read the responses to these questions, if there are any. ‘Cause I’m not buying into their stated concern for the kids at Lancaster Court Apartments. And I’d really like to know why they think their public school wouldn’t offer services to public school kids who need them.
And… if the board reverses their decision on this vote due to a petition then that’s the new precedent. Which I’d be okay with because I’m sure I could generate a petition for equitably funding city schools, or changing other attendance zones… and get a ton of people to sign it. But that hasn’t been the way it’s worked in the past and we’ve all dealt with it. Plenty of people were upset when North Star’s attendance zone was drawn, but they lived with it.
Everyone might also want to consider the new Priority Schools. Remember, the plan for these city schools, should they continue to “fail” – and given the lack of funding attached to priority schools, they probably will – they will be closed, converted to charter or privatized. If these things happen where will the kids who attended these public schools be assigned? District lines aren’t changing, so children living in the Red Clay School District will still have to be assigned to a Red Clay school. Right? Charters are all choice schools and don’t have an attendance zone, so if (some) priority schools become charters then attendance zones will have to be redrawn again – to take the kids not attending the new all choice charters. If (some) priority schools are closed down then the kids in their attendance zones will have to be assigned to suburban schools in their home district. If this happens (and I’m beginning to think it will) then we’re in for redrawing attendance zones across the board. Just food for thought.