Post by WeBe204 on Feb 19, 2008 6:20:20 GMT -6
Parents aren't happy with Indian Prairie School District 204's boundary plan - at least those with children who won't attend the same high school as their friends or who will be bused across town rather than attend a school closer to their neighborhood.
And the buzz has continued at a steady hum.
A week may have gone by since district officials announced the new boundary plan that will accommodate the new high school off Eola Road near Interstate 88, but that hasn't quieted the calls, blog posts and letters that continue to come in to The Sun office. As a massive blog response to The Sun has indicated, there is a widespread feeling that people are not getting a fair shake.
An unscientific poll conducted on The Sun's Web site indicated that respondents unhappy with the proposed boundaries outnumbered those satisfied with the recommendation by a 3-1 margin. Of 1,217 votes cast between Wednesday and Monday, 914 voters said they were unhappy with the boundaries, and 303 said they were happy with them.
One example
In one snapshot that's emblematic of how people feel, a parent in the Ashwood Park subdivision, located west of 248th Avenue north of 111th Street, points out her concerns. Terri Wiborg said her son is one of only a handful of students who will have to be separated from their friends to attend Still Middle School, about a 6-mile drive away.
"There are only about 15 to 20 of us who have children in elementary school that will be heading into middle school the first year of the split," Wiborg said. "We could cross the street and be at Crone Middle School," located near 248th Avenue and 111th Street.
Students from Ashwood Park will attend Still; students from the rest of the Ashwood development will attend Crone and Scullen middle schools.
Difficult choices
District 204 officials have said that dividing a school district that spans 46 square miles is no easy task. When that district has 29,000 students in 21 elementary schools, seven middle schools and three high schools, number crunching is taken to a new level. Officials juggled geography, capacity and transportation issues to come up with a recommendation for high school boundaries. If the school board approves the boundaries, they would take effect in fall 2009 when Metea Valley High School is scheduled to open.
Kathy Birkett, deputy superintendent, said splits were unavoidable, but the goal was to make sure the students only split once.
The proposed plan includes splitting two elementary schools. Students from Peterson Elementary School will be split among Still, Crone and Scullen middle schools. Students from Cowlishaw will be split between Hill and Still middle schools.
Back to Ashwood
The Ashwood development is slated to have 800 homes, but it has been slow to develop. That meant the first residents, such as Wiborg, had to send their children to Kendall and Graham elementary schools for the last few years until Peterson opened in fall 2007.
"We feel like an island and that nobody actually considers our feelings," Wiborg said. "Ashwood Creek is the other half of our subdivision. I just don't understand their train of thought."
Peterson has an enrollment of 444 students. A majority of those transferred from Wheatland Elementary School, which was closed and turned into a preschool center and storage facility last summer.
Becky Barnhart, who lives in Ashwood Creek, said a slow housing market means the number of students from the Ashwood development will likely remain small in the upcoming years.
"I believe that a minor accommodation could be made so that Peterson does not need to be split three ways," Barnhart said. "Eighteen of the 21 elementary schools move together as one student body. Peterson does not need to be fractured into three pieces."
Diana Thompson, who has a fourth-grader and lives in Ashwood Park, said the split will be hard on the small number of students from Ashwood Park who go to Still.
"Transitions are hard enough for children, please don't expect them to have to start all over in their preteen/teen years," Thompson said.
Others upset, too
But Ashwood residents are far from the only people who are unhappy. Comments on The Sun blog include mostly negative comments about the boundary proposal by residents of the Tall Grass and White Eagle neighborhoods, where students will attend Waubonsie Valley rather that Neuqua Valley high schools.
When it comes to middle schools, students at Scullen and Still middle schools will be split between Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley high schools.
Students from Ashwood Park would be split from their elementary peers, but would go to Waubonsie with other students from Still. Students from Fry Elementary School would attend Scullen Middle School, but then attend Waubonsie, while the other feeder schools go to Neuqua Valley.
And then there are those who say let it be. Change is good. The students will adjust. If they're really friends, they'll stay friends no matter where they go to school.
As Superintendent Stephen Daeschner has said, "This is an emotional issue. We all want new schools, but we don't want our school to be the one that is cut out. We gave it our best shot."
And parents have one more chance to voice their concerns about the plan. The school board has called a special meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. Residents will get 3 minutes to voice their concerns. The district expects about 100 people to speak.
And the buzz has continued at a steady hum.
A week may have gone by since district officials announced the new boundary plan that will accommodate the new high school off Eola Road near Interstate 88, but that hasn't quieted the calls, blog posts and letters that continue to come in to The Sun office. As a massive blog response to The Sun has indicated, there is a widespread feeling that people are not getting a fair shake.
An unscientific poll conducted on The Sun's Web site indicated that respondents unhappy with the proposed boundaries outnumbered those satisfied with the recommendation by a 3-1 margin. Of 1,217 votes cast between Wednesday and Monday, 914 voters said they were unhappy with the boundaries, and 303 said they were happy with them.
One example
In one snapshot that's emblematic of how people feel, a parent in the Ashwood Park subdivision, located west of 248th Avenue north of 111th Street, points out her concerns. Terri Wiborg said her son is one of only a handful of students who will have to be separated from their friends to attend Still Middle School, about a 6-mile drive away.
"There are only about 15 to 20 of us who have children in elementary school that will be heading into middle school the first year of the split," Wiborg said. "We could cross the street and be at Crone Middle School," located near 248th Avenue and 111th Street.
Students from Ashwood Park will attend Still; students from the rest of the Ashwood development will attend Crone and Scullen middle schools.
Difficult choices
District 204 officials have said that dividing a school district that spans 46 square miles is no easy task. When that district has 29,000 students in 21 elementary schools, seven middle schools and three high schools, number crunching is taken to a new level. Officials juggled geography, capacity and transportation issues to come up with a recommendation for high school boundaries. If the school board approves the boundaries, they would take effect in fall 2009 when Metea Valley High School is scheduled to open.
Kathy Birkett, deputy superintendent, said splits were unavoidable, but the goal was to make sure the students only split once.
The proposed plan includes splitting two elementary schools. Students from Peterson Elementary School will be split among Still, Crone and Scullen middle schools. Students from Cowlishaw will be split between Hill and Still middle schools.
Back to Ashwood
The Ashwood development is slated to have 800 homes, but it has been slow to develop. That meant the first residents, such as Wiborg, had to send their children to Kendall and Graham elementary schools for the last few years until Peterson opened in fall 2007.
"We feel like an island and that nobody actually considers our feelings," Wiborg said. "Ashwood Creek is the other half of our subdivision. I just don't understand their train of thought."
Peterson has an enrollment of 444 students. A majority of those transferred from Wheatland Elementary School, which was closed and turned into a preschool center and storage facility last summer.
Becky Barnhart, who lives in Ashwood Creek, said a slow housing market means the number of students from the Ashwood development will likely remain small in the upcoming years.
"I believe that a minor accommodation could be made so that Peterson does not need to be split three ways," Barnhart said. "Eighteen of the 21 elementary schools move together as one student body. Peterson does not need to be fractured into three pieces."
Diana Thompson, who has a fourth-grader and lives in Ashwood Park, said the split will be hard on the small number of students from Ashwood Park who go to Still.
"Transitions are hard enough for children, please don't expect them to have to start all over in their preteen/teen years," Thompson said.
Others upset, too
But Ashwood residents are far from the only people who are unhappy. Comments on The Sun blog include mostly negative comments about the boundary proposal by residents of the Tall Grass and White Eagle neighborhoods, where students will attend Waubonsie Valley rather that Neuqua Valley high schools.
When it comes to middle schools, students at Scullen and Still middle schools will be split between Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley high schools.
Students from Ashwood Park would be split from their elementary peers, but would go to Waubonsie with other students from Still. Students from Fry Elementary School would attend Scullen Middle School, but then attend Waubonsie, while the other feeder schools go to Neuqua Valley.
And then there are those who say let it be. Change is good. The students will adjust. If they're really friends, they'll stay friends no matter where they go to school.
As Superintendent Stephen Daeschner has said, "This is an emotional issue. We all want new schools, but we don't want our school to be the one that is cut out. We gave it our best shot."
And parents have one more chance to voice their concerns about the plan. The school board has called a special meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora. Residents will get 3 minutes to voice their concerns. The district expects about 100 people to speak.
BTW, there is no smiley face to choose from that looks tired....OK, maybe this guy 
