Clarification Update Note Dec-03-2015:
The taskforce had previously agreed to keep the schools "as is".....but they are now reassessing the budget numbers, census updates and other new construction factors. We do not believe that this is an uphill battle as most of the people on the taskforce were all parents and teachers who really support the idea of keeping neighborhood school and therefore minimizing school transitions. It seems apparent that the school board is the one that wants us to explore the elementary school realignment.
Original from Dec-02-2015:
Hello - Thank you for looking at this page and being concerned about this very important issue.
While not all of the people mentioned below can possibly attend the board and task force meetings, this can be helpful in providing the community input on this and as an aggregate can be voiced to the school board and task force team to voice our displeasure of this topic coming up so soon after it was tabled and critical time and money are being wasted - all to the determinent of our student education.
If you are a taxpayer, resident, parent, teacher, school board member or administrator, we strongly encourage you to sign this petition. Approximately 2 years ago, the board and task force were presented with the option of realignment where the neighborhood elementary schools would be no longer, rather placing the schools into grade level schools (e.g. K-2 in 2 of the 4 schools and 3-5 (or 6 depending on SRMS impact) in the other 2 schools. There are many reasons to not do this - first and foremost the residents and communities of each elementary school do not as they build a strong community within each school. Having parents involved in 1 elementary school is difficult and now if this occurs we will be asking parents to be involved in two elementary schools at least - not to mention the middle and high schools. An example of one issue - A family has a Dr appt that they require the kids to be picked up in car line and who has a child in 2nd and 4th grades will potentially have to do pick-up in car line in 2 different schools at the same exact time.
Many other areas are impacted as well - education, parent/guardian volunteerism/involvement, transportation, financial, etc.. the list is much larger and can be expanded on with your comments as well.
Please sign and also pass along to as many people as you knowin our UD community so we can get our voice heard ASAP. We know this isn't the end all but its a great way to get us heard and not require us all (b/c some of us are unable to attend these meetings for varying legitimate reasons) to show up for a meeting. First meeting was on December 1st and it appears that this is a consideration again as it is being revisited with some additional information that is now available.
