Our school is consolidating against the public's wishes
By foxyfire33
@foxyfire33 (10005)
United States
October 4, 2007 3:18pm CST
The school board has voted to consolidate our 4 elementary schools into one larger one despite the fact that the general public is against it. here's the link to the most recent article... http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18858706&BRD=2276&PAG=461&dept_id=465049&rfi=8
This is so frustrating to me. It's already a full hour bus ride in the morning and again at night...2 hours a day on a school bus! And that was with staggered start and dismissal times for the elementary schools. Now all the elementary studens will be being dismissed and bussed home at the same time as each other AND all the high school students.
Class sizes at each of the 4 schools have always been nice and small, with everyone combined who knows how huge they'll be (I've heard rumors that they may reach 30+ students per class in some instances!)
The school board is supposed to act in the best interests of the parents and students but they seem to be doing whatever they want regardless of what we want. I hope a majority get voted out during the next elections and replaced by people who want to leave the little schools alone.
Any thoughts, opinions or experience with this sort of thing?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Oh foxy, I know this is so frustrating for you. The same thing happened in this area last year. Parents were irate and spent a lot of time, money and effort trying to fight the consolidations. Their efforts were in vain however, as the consolidations occured anyway. It's all about saving the school districts money..that is the bottom line. Not the children, not the children's education...but money. So very sad.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
5 Oct 07
It is very sad...And if they are so concerned about saving money, maybe they should start by looking at the pay of the administration. It seems like they get paid an awful lot of money to sit at a desk telling everyone else what work needs to be done.
One school board member I talked to awhile ago said that if they close the schools they will be able to afford better staff and that students don't need small classes or access to computers and other enough supplies as long as they have a well paid teacher!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
5 Oct 07
That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard! I sure hope that school board member gets voted out. Right now it's a big issue in the political debates about how smaller classes are so much better for the children, and you have a school director saying if the teachers are well-paid it won't matter if the kids don't have enough equipment or computer access.
It's also awful for the smaller kids to have to spend that much time on the school bus. They have to get very tired because that sure makes for a long day for the little ones. Then, if your school district is at all like where my grandkids go (Central Columbia) they get hammered with homework like I couldn't believe. I wish you lots of luck but as unfair as it is a minority of 6 or 7 school board members will decide for everyone.
Annie
@pismeof (855)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Maybe you could get a petition going or set-up an emergency town meeting.
An hour long ride to school for elementary kids seems a bit excessive now a days.
Large classroom attendance is also detrimental to the attention the younger kids should be receiving.
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
5 Oct 07
There have been all sorts of things like that ever since the whole issue was first brought up. No one wants to consolidate except the school board. There are still groups trying to fight this thogh so hopefully it isn't over.
That is what was so nice about having these smaller community elementary schools...the high schoolers still had a long ride but the little ones didn't have to be one the bus for so long. Our house is one of the first on this route and the ride would have only been 20-30 minutes to the elementary school. That's pretty short for a rural bus route.
We are used to kindergartens with around 15 students per class (and 1 teacher and an aide in each class). That always seemed so nice. I have no idea how they will handle larger classes without hurting the students.
1 person likes this
@kayrod2 (1304)
• Australia
7 Oct 07
I think it will be a disaster. Big classes dont do antthing good for the kids. I dont think they learn as much, and more will go unnoticed that have problems. I so hope they start listening to the public, but they probably wont.
best wishes to you, and take care
@chocolatekisses (1)
• Canada
5 Oct 07
That's really hard on both the kids and the families. It has been happening a lot around here too. I'm not sure of the exact reasons why they are closing schools there but here it is because of declining enrollment. For a lot of families around here it is more of a community issue - - - no one has to ride for 2 hours on a school bus. Unless they choose to go to a school that is that far away.
A class of 20 students is considered small here .... 25-30 (for older grades is fairly common).
Are they going to make the elementary kids and the high school kids ride on the same buses! Yikes
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
5 Oct 07
From what I've read their main reason is because they think it will be more cost effective to have all the students in one elementary school. The route to our house takes one hour and we aren't even the farthest out from the main campus. Other kids will have an even longer ride once the schools are closed. Here for the elementary level the norm is around 20-25 students per class for the older grades at most and 15 for the younger grades, so this consolidation will create unusually large classes compared to what we're used to.
We are too rural to have separate bussing for elementary and high school students so they have always ridden together. If the driver is good it's not that big of a deal, good drivers watch out for the little ones and keep them apart from the big kids.
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