CSD Reconfiguration Vote Pushed Up to January 13th?
Decatur Metro | January 9, 2009Judd Owen writes in to let us know that if we’re reading the CSD Board of Ed agenda correctly, they have pushed up their vote to approve the recommended reconfiguration plan of the school system from March to January 13th.
If you’re new to the discussion, the plan to accomidate more students is to use portables at the elementary schools until 4th/5th grades can be moved to a new Renfroe addition and make Glennwood a K-3. If the city were to approve annexation, Westchester would also become a K-3.
Originally, the schedule looked like this…
a. Superintendent presents multiple options to Board of Education
for February 10, 2009 meeting
b. Board of Education conducts informational sessions and public
hearings (if needed) end of February
c. Board of Education votes on action item March 10, 2009
But Judd points out that a “move approval of reconfiguration plan” is the second action item on the School Board’s January 13th meeting agenda. The item is accompanied by a letter from the superintendent encouraging the board to accept the committee’s recommendation. The financial impact is estimated at $25,000 for each portable and $3 million for the Renfroe “renovations to add 4/5″.
So I assume that this means that the Board of Ed vote has been pushed up two months to January 13th? Right? Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
Latest from Decaturish
Arrrrrgh. Does anyone (other than admin. with comfy location at Westchester) want this option?!
I followed the link to the agenda and that’s not the only thing on the agenda. At the end of the night, everything could be signed, sealed and delivered. Here is what the board will vote on.
1. Move approval to accept reconfiguration plan
2. Move approval of the Master Plan for the renovation of RMS (Cost $10 million dollars) and conceptual plan for Fifth Avenue
3. Move approval to allow the superintendent to advertise for an RFQ for the renovation of RMS and the building of additional classrooms
4. Move approval of the Proposed Budget Cut Option 5 (including $300,000 cut at Renfroe for teachers, $128,000 cut at Glennwood for 4 paraprofessionals).
Plus in the paper, the state has also relaxed class size limits. Grades 4-8 can now have 30 students per class.
It seems like a divide and conquer model. Put so many controversial things on one agenda that no unified opposition to anything can be heard.
Yes, JC. Dr. Edwards wants this config. That’s all that matters. Everyone PLEASE write to the Board and urge them to study this more closely and not go forward with DR. E’s plan!!!!!!!!
Why isn’t anyone paying attention to this serious matter!! Please posters, wake-up! Go to the DCS meeting Tuesday night and voice your opposition, or at least please request them to table this until mid-Feb. It doesn’t make any sense at all — annexation is still not voted on by the city of Decatur, so what gives with the rush?! It’s your tax money people, and lets see it spent wisely!!! Do you want the 4-5th grades at Renfroe, when in another five years that school configeration will be changed again? At least that seems to be the way the wind goes around there. Where is this money coming from?
By the way, it’s also the incredible shrinking tax base, considering the current economy …
Sorry for being the queen of copy-n-paste, but consider this:
This is not “moving the 4/5 to Renfroe”. These are not
separate facilities. The 4/5 and 6-8 will use the same green space,
the same athletic fields (note: there is no playground), the same
gymnasium, the same Building! This is a 4-8 school! After looking
at the student numbers, another parent pointed out to me it will be
bigger than the High School. It will be a MEGASCHOOL. DHS is only
about 975 students. The MEGASCHOOL will be about 1000 students!
Think about it – elementary aged students will be in a school of 1000
kids. Way bigger than the average elementary school in the state of
Georgia (668 students). This is the MEGASCHOOL concept that the
State of Georgia has been pushing for over 20 years.
Vote Cranky!
BTW, we moved out of Decatur/Dekalb, so that tax base just shrunk some more.
I wanted to let folks know that we are having a work session before the board meeting tomorrow at 5:30 pm to go over the important items on our agenda in more detail, so please try to attend if you can.
The reconfiguration vote is on the agenda earlier than it was originally planned, and we want to make sure folks are aware of it. I did talk to Dr. Edwards last week about my concern for not having public input sessions on the recommendation before we voted, and she understood my concern. My hope is that tomorrow we will acknowledge the work that the committee has done, and then hold public input sessions later this month and early Feb.; and then re-visit the issue at our Feb. or March meeting. (But I am just one board member and can’t speak for my colleagues, so I have no idea how they feel about this.)
Below is an email that Dr. Edwards sent today in response to a parent’s concern about this reconfiguration option, and I thought it would be helpful for you folks who have raised some valid questions to see it:
“The committee worked very hard and looked at a great deal of
information. The K-5 option was presented as well as the possibility of turning Westchester into the 4/5. We worked through a committee so that everyone that participated could have the benefit of understanding and seeing the same information.
They finished their work sooner than expected- I believe it is important to get this item before the board as soon as possible. If they do nothing more, they should recognize the work of the committee and understand what went into their decision. This is not a decision which I reached unilaterally. I do support the outcome from the group which participated in this process.
There certainly are many reasons to maintain the current structure
academically and for the behavioral benefits that we have seen
demonstrated once the students reach 6th grade. Certainly, one
important factor was the continuation of the IB program, and this option would give us an IB 4-8 campus. Yes, the committee heard from principals and teachers about how they felt the model had been working. They were extremely impressed by what they heard.
When we reconfigured last time, many people talked about having a K-8 school. There was also talk about too many transition points with the K-3 ; 4/5. This option keeps 4-8 on the same campus but separate in terms of wings/classrooms and also cafeteria use and gym use. There would be separate entrances for each school and different start/finish times so that the chances of inter-school mingling is minimized. Children and families will be onthe same campus for 5 years- less transitions and one PTA.
If we were to maintain the 4/5 concept and move it to Westchester, you would still need to spend money to build additional classrooms, renovate the parking situation to accommodate more teachers/ students and deal with playground issues. I am not sure at this time if you would need to renovate the multi-purpose/stage area. There will be costs associated with change.
All of these issues were certainly talked about and studied. There were many options which the committee looked at during their time.
Normally, when school systems work on these issues, most of the work takes places with the administrative staff and the superintendent. We put the committee in place this time to seek input and other points of view before coming up with a recommendation.
The timeline may be shorter than originally planned. The committee meet in quick succession of meetings throughout the month of Nov./Dec. It would not make sense for me to know the outcome and not present it to the board for their review.
I am sending this to the board members so they know your thoughts and my response. I am also asking that you talk with Thomas Van Soelen about specifics related to the committee work.
Phyllis Edwards”
We don’t want to operate in a vacuum, so we appreciate the community’s input. I hope that you will plan to attend tomorrow’s meeting or send us an email with your thoughts.
DM, I’m a huge fan of your blog and appreciate all you do to keep Decatur residents informed and entertained! I rarely have time to post, but I do try to read it regularly.
All the best-
Julie Rhame
CSD Board Member
Cheers Julie! Thanks so much for all the info and the letter from Dr. Edwards.
Oh, spare me! I’m one of those who championed keeping our kids in one school for as long as possible. I want K-5 (or better, PK-5 like we had in the “good ol’ days”). But keeping 4-8 together? That doesn’t even make sense! Of all ages to put together! This is the wrong time to spend 5 years on the same campus.
How do you reconcile these two statements?
“There would be separate entrances for each school and different start/finish times so that the chances of inter-school mingling is minimized. Children and families will be onthe same campus for 5 years- less transitions and one PTA.”
How can you laud the fact that children and families will be on the same campus for 5 years when they have separate start/end times? How is that going to work any better for us than having them at different campuses? What is the difference? And you can’t even begin to convince me that they’ll ride different buses even if they have different start/end times. Pigs will fly before that happens.
Also, someone please convince me that she’s trying to be serious here:
“If we were to maintain the 4/5 concept and move it to Westchester, you would still need to spend money to build additional classrooms, renovate the parking situation to accommodate more teachers/ students and deal with playground issues. I am not sure at this time if you would need to renovate the multi-purpose/stage area. There will be costs associated with change.”
Yeah, there will be costs associated with that change! But $10 MILLION?????
Straight from the Board website:
“The plans to complete the renovations, add classrooms and build the gym [at Renfroe] would be approximately 10 million dollars minus the remaining dollars from SPLOST.”
Please don’t tell me that renovating Westchester will cost more than adding new buildings to Renfroe.
I am SICK! I am sick of having these changes rammed down our throats.
OK, I have some concerns about CSD going into more debt in this financial environment. I’d like to see the financials on how CSD will service all this debt. However, I think that the hysteria about 4th graders hanging around with 8th graders is misplaced.
I have younger kids and a middle schooler. I know a lot of 8th graders of all walks of life. They are lovely people and have no desire to seek out 9 year olds to beat up, rape or sell drugs to. Frankly, they really don’t have much desire to interact with 9 year olds at all unless they are getting paid for it.
As for exposure to bad words or adolescent themes. Do you let your 4th graders go to the homes of friends with older siblilngs? Do you let them go to school and hang out on the playground with classmates with older sibs? Do you let them watch Hannah Montana or Drake and Josh on television while you make dinner? Do they know who Jamie Lynn Spears is? Have they seen High School Musical? Your kids are going to be exposed to things that are beyond them developmentally unless you keep them out of school and away from media.
Then… we have to think about the corrupting influence of our kids’ own classmates. My 4th grader learned some really “choice” vocabulary from her classmates in 3rd and 4th grade. She also learned the “Soulja Boy” song and accompanying dance from a fellow 9 year old. If you don’t know what that is… check out the lyrics. You will be shocked. I certainly was. Then we have my kindergartner who learned what sex was from a classmate when they were both 5.
These kids are not living in a vacuum. They are exposed to adult themes all the time. Occupying a building with 8th graders is not going to change what they are exposed to. The idea is to parent them in a way that when they are confronted with this trash, they have the common sense and moral fiber to know right from wrong and to choose what is right.
I think that there are big advantages to a 4-8 school. I like seeing IB all together. I like the idea of siblings spending more time together at the same school. I like the increased commitment and PTA involvement that we will see from parents with a longer grade span. I like the idea of kids really feeling like they have accomplished something when they finally move on after 8th grade. I think that including younger kids at Renfroe would actually improve the culture there.
I think that Mr. Roaden is particularly qualified to create a positive school culture at Renfroe where the 7th and 8th graders see themselves as leaders and example setters. I went to a K-9 school as a child for all 10 years. We had K-3 on one side of the campus.. and 4-9 in a single building on the other side. I think that the existence of 4th graders really goes a long way to improving the behavior of the older kids.
Hi all,
This is from board member Marc Wisniewski about tonight’s board vote on the reconfigeration. I plan on attending the meeting … The Crankster
The vote tonight is about accepting the report from the committee (including 13 parents) that was created to analyze the options and make a recommendation. This will then put in place the next steps which are to then hold a series of sessions (i.e. public informational, board work sessions, public hearings) to allow for community (and board) understanding and comment, with the decision culminating as planned in March. In regards to annexation, the need to look at space and configurations was recognized and initiated prior to annexation being put on the table (well over a year ago). The need to address space issues remains, and the committee was given direction to look at solutions for both with and without annexation.
The IB program is already a huge financial drain on the system.* If it is the main reason given for building a 10 Million dollar addition onto Renfroe, it would be it’s biggest drain yet.
Plus, I went to the IB website and it says that the Middle Years Programme is children ages 11 – 16. Aren’t 4th graders 9 or 10? They shouldn’t even be in the middle years program. So, 4th – 8th doesn’t match.
There are many solutions out there that do not involve construction. I challenge the school board to tell the superintendent that they want a construction free solution.
*(Best guess – about $220,000 per year)
foodie, I agree. The above-stated issues with putting 4th and 8th graders together are not the biggest issue here.
CSD MOM, honestly, what would make YOU happy? Were you here during Dr. Love’s reign? Now SHE was a piece of work! If you think Dr. Edwards is bad……
Dr. Love was a joke. My kids’ education has improved dramatically since she was on board.
Geez…sombody on here is WAY over the edge.
I bet there are parents from all the other counties in Greater Metro who would LOVE to have the education and environment offered in our city schools. SOME OF US should be counting our blessings instead of constantly grousing and kvetching and whining and acting as if the sky is falling. While you are doing that, the rest of the concerned parents and citizens will proceed calmly and rationally towards working within the process.
Vote Cranky!
Am I reading this wrong or are the two school board members providing different stories about what will be voted on tonight?
Julie seems say that the reconfiguration is scheduled to be voted on tonight because thing went quicker than expected…though she would rather hold off.
Cranky’s note from from board member Marc says that the vote “tonight is about accepting the report from the committee (including 13 parents) that was created to analyze the options and make a recommendation”.
Maybe they’re saying the same thing…but the procedural-speak is making things a bit murky.
Metro, I agree–I feel like I am getting mixed signals here.
I believe that we need to invest more in thinking about the future instead of constantly using stop-gap measures at every turn to try to keep up. Obviously the reconfig from 5 years ago was either completely off-base or was implemented improperly, or else we would not be where we are now. If growth and enrollment were predicted perhaps a little better, we would not be scrambling now to rearrange our schools AGAIN to accommodate everyone. Instead of forging ahead with our heads in the sand again with more hasty measures, we need to seriously consider: where will we be in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? If a certain measure is necessary, then the facts should back it up. So far, I have not seen any facts that back up the idea that spending $10 million at Renfroe as opposed to, say, renovating Westchester is what we should do. I am anxious to find out more tonight.
Good superintendents can make bad decisions. It’s not all or nothing.
If 4th -8th is OK, separate facilities aren’t needed. If 4th – 8th isn’t OK, then some separate facilities on the same campus won’t make a difference. The problem is, once you build a building, you paint yourself into a corner. Even without Westchester, there are enough classrooms in the system to hold the students.
To propose new construction that costs more than the amount provided by SPLOST and the bond is unfair to taxpayers.
Hope you all were at the meeting. I left after Dr. Edwards basically said that we couldn’t have forseen this problem five years ago .. she sounded real good up to that point … and I look at CSD mom’s comment and agree completely. It’s time we stop making these short term — sky is fallling — decisions and start looking at real factual long term decisions on our school growth. Everyone get informed, and go to these informational meetings, or this “recommednation” of a 4-8 configeration will become reality …
By the way, is anyone else creeped out by the big screen counting down your three minutes of comment time? I think that’s a freedom of speech issue there, an intimidation factor rushing you through your comments … but I understand how emotional these things can get … still, YUCK.