WARNING!!!!!! This won’t be a normal happy-go-lucky post for this blog, so proceed with caution…
A little over a month ago, I learned about some changes that will be happening in our school system. I tried to listen with an open mind, but so many questions were unanswered, and better yet a school board was trying their best to keep such information away from parents. They were doing their best to sneak it past all of us.
Here’s the deal, our school system’s budget is failing and we are facing major budget cuts for the next year. On the proposal is changing the two elementary schools from elementary schools to “attendance centers”. One school would be K-2, and the other 3-5. They will be cutting teacher’s jobs, increasing class sizes, having to add in and re-route more buses, but all in the name of saving money for the budget. Oh, did I fail to mention that we are one of the highest taxed, but lowest populated counties in KS… I also live about 5 blocks from my son’s school (that’s one of the reasons why we bought our house, and continue to live here).
I attended the board meeting last night, and it was very interesting/infuriating. The board clearly has their mind made up, but have made a “panel” of teachers & parents to go and find out facts to present to the school board before the vote in May. The panel was not allowed to speak at the meeting, they can only present their findings to the board. I think that this was a move made by the board, to simply cover their butts. The scary thing is that we simply know nothing, and the board isn’t displaying that they even have a plan for any of it. We have no idea just how much this is going to cost, just how many jobs are going to be lost, and just what impact this will have on our students. The vote is in May, and school typically starts mid-August, they don’t even have a date for the first day of school as of yet. Four months is simply not enough time to restructure an entire school system.
I know that this is going to be a controversial topic, but I am looking for any information out there… This is the first I have ever heard of “attendance centers”, and I am curious about the positives and the negatives. Please, if you have an attendance center in your town, or a child that attends a school that has gone through some major changes, please let me know how it is going for you as a parent, and for your child too. I want to hear it all, the good and the bad.
I debated about posting this at all… Locally there are people that are for it and their are those that are against it, speaking out about is going to make someone mad, no matter what. But either side, and apparently the school board simply doesn’t have enough information to make an educated decision about our Children’s education. I’m hoping and praying that in the next few short weeks, there is more information presented to the parents. possible an anonymous questionnaire, or even another forum to discuss the proposed changes, my goodness we need it. I’m hoping for the best…
Thanks for listening to my angry rant… -Nicole-
That really stinks! California public schools have had budget cuts since before my kids were born, and it just gets worse every year. That is why I put them in private school. We sacrifice a lot to do so, but I have peace of mind that they are actually learning. Presently, our state is closing some elementary schools and of course laying off teachers and teacher’s aides and they are also cutting 2 weeks off the school year. I also considered charter schools, there are some good ones out there. I have not heard of attendance centers here, but I will ask around.
You know where I stand sweetie! I am so glad that our MOPS group had already planned on doing a school options meeting. Hopefully our school system can be managed in a way that doesn’t hurt our kiddos.
no, we don’t have attendence centers here. sorry i can’t be of much help. Sure hope you get some answers from the school district. that can be very frustrating!
In all of my education classes, I have never heard of an attendance center either. Maybe they’re just trying to give one school per grade a fancy name. I know it wouldn’t be very convent if your kiddos had to go to the school that was further away but what I would really be worried about, if it were me, is how big they are planning on making the class size. Regardless of how good the teacher is, he or she can only give so much of their time to each student. The more students, the less time.
I agree with Meggan, they’re trying to put a positive spin on this by calling the school a more modern term. All so you’ll get on board…so you can tell your friends that your kids go to a high-falutin’ “attendance centre”.
We went through a school-closure thing a few years ago, where the school board had 4 schools on the chopping block, 3 were to survive: and our school made it. We went to tons of meetings and all I got from it was this: they new what they were going to do with those schools all along. No one can tell me that a huge organization like a school board can pay countless people to do report after report regarding school closures, and not know what they’re going to do from the get-go. They let the parents in on it after the fact, so that they can say that they gave the parents a say. I call bulltweet.
God, I’m so negative lol. Best wishes to you, Nicole, I know it’s a horrible process to go through…thinking that the school that you and your kids have grown to love might be closing.