Wheatland Gone

[Avenging Eagle]

From my spam email folder.........

This was reported by Bob from a SB meeting in 3/06, but I guess this makes it official?

< 204 E-News: Board Update 11.07.06>
===========================
Wheatland Moves to Peterson
===========================

Students and staff at Wheatland Elementary will head to a new school
next year. The board approved moving the students to Peterson Elementary
School. Construction at Peterson was completed in June using funds from
a state construction grant, but the school did not open this year
because housing surrounding the school has been slow to develop.

Administrators recommended the move because Peterson is a new
educational facility that will be more efficient. Wheatland is a small school
built in the 1950s, which poses challenges in delivering educational
programs. Board members applauded Wheatland's staff for doing a tremendous
job with the limitations of an older facility. Board President
Jeannette Clark said, "At Wheatland they make it work, but it's modified from
what our kids have in our more modern facilities."

Board Vice President Bruce Glawe echoed Clark's sentiments and said he
had first-hand knowledge of Wheatland from when his kids attended the
school. "We need to place students in the best facility we have to offer
so they have the best educational opportunity," Glawe said.

District officials met with Wheatland parents this fall to discuss the
move and offered parents the opportunity to tour Peterson.
Administrators expect to make a recommendation on possible uses for Wheatland by
the end of the year.

==========================
High School Name Approved
==========================

The Board of Education approved the name Metea Valley High School for
the district's new school scheduled to open in 2009. The board selected
the name after reviewing 69 names submitted by community members. In
addition to researching the names, board members asked for feedback from
students. Board member Alka Tyle said students like the idea of
following the tradition of selecting a Potawatomie Chief's name. Like Neuqua
and Waubonsie, Metea was also a chief. After sustaining an injury in the
Fort Dearborn Massacre, Chief Metea became a well-respected negotiator
for his tribe and was known for being a skilled orator. He was also an
advocate for the education of American Indian youth.

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School District 204
www.ipsd.org
780 Shoreline Drive
Aurora, IL 60504
USA

[justvote]

Does this mean that the students will be reassigned high schools since Peterson is slated to attend Waubonsie?

[gatormom]

They made it quite clear last night at the SB meeting that no boundaries change. Wheatland children will not go to WV.

[204vet]

How will that work since Peterson is WVHS? Will they be splitting the grade school then? Half the kids go to one middle school and on to WVHS and half go to another MS and Nequa? Sounds messy.

[bob]

Peterson will be a split grade school. It won't really matter because they would split at middle school.

[proschool]

Middle school boundaries will create problems for almost everyone when they are settled. "Messy" is an understatement.

[204vet]

Do we have other split grade schools in the district? I thought we did? How many students are at Wheatland vs. the capacity at Peterson?

[bob]

No other split grade schools to HS. I think Wheatland is about 350 plus they will pick up any Sector G kids that attend the other grade schools.

[proschool]

Cowlishaw is split between two middle schools and those same group of students will split from thier piers again as they go into high school.

I think that the bigger issus is splitting kids as they enter and leave middle school. The way I figure it at least six of the seven middle shools will be split between two high schools. Peterson splits Corne. Fry splits Scullen. Brookdale splits Hill. Cowlishaw splits Granger. I forgot who splits the 7th MS and Still but its on my previous posts. The only students who are safe from being split are the ones assigned to Gregory Middle School.

Students don't move into high school from the fifth grade

With that being considered I don't think that the split is a good reason to keep Wheatland open.

[EagleDad]

Splits are undesirable especially at the GS level.

But, they are a fact of life and we'll all have to live with them. I guess the goal should be to reduce them yet not overly focus on one should it occur.

I think the decision to close Wheatland and send to Peterson while eliminating a very small, tight knit, 'ole time school was needed.

[gatordog]

avengingeagle said:

Administrators expect to make a recommendation on possible uses for Wheatland by
the end of the year.

I wonder what the possible ideas are for use of the building. I will look forward to hearing more from the board about this.