Patrons quiz board, superintendent on issues of school redistricting
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Issues surrounding moving the students from Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake elementaries next year into schools in Warsaw brought a standing-room-only crowd to Monday's Warsaw school board meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire announced that Tammy Ummel, North-Central Indiana Cooperative superintendent, is heading the transition team, and that "progress is being made on solving the demographic issues."
According to McGuire, Claypool elementary students will be moved to Eisenhower. Silver Lake students will go to Washington. Atwood students will go to Madison, with the exception of 19, who will go to Leesburg because of transportation routes.
Also, the gifted and talented program will be moved from Eisenhower to Lincoln, and the special eduction students will move from Washington to Jefferson.
McGuire said, "It appears no further redistricting and no additional bus routes will be necessary to accomplish the transition." No bus ride will be longer than one hour, he said.
In response to questions, McGuire said that no redistricting will be done, and that most of the transition communication will be handled through the individual principals.
Board member Ron Yeiter asked about additional classrooms in each building and the use of portable classrooms.
Ummel said, "The principals have looked at (the situation) and feel that they can absorb these students into their buildings" without using portables for classrooms - only for special classes, such as art and music.
"There are some existing classroom areas available and some space now being used that will be used differently next year," she said.
"It surprises me that we can take 420 kids and put them in these buildings when I thought we were at capacity with these schools," said board member Gene England.
He also said he did not believe the system could get all students to Warsaw within one hour, and transportation director Della Swain welcomed board members to ride a school bus.
McGuire said they hope to resolve where the teachers in the closed schools will go in the next couple of months.
However, "no teachers will lose their jobs," McGuire said, and the administration has been working with the Warsaw Community Education Association on "how best to resolve the placement issue."
Terry Sims, WCEA president, said, "WCEA has been assured by the administration that teachers won't lose jobs, and I'm going to take their word on that."
When asked where the teachers from the closed schools will go, McGuire said, "We're not lowering the number of teachers in the system, we will be trying to use them more efficiently." He also said two of the principals of the closed schools will become teachers and one will retire.
Several parents expressed concern that, since their children were taught Saxon phonics at the schools to be closed, they want them to be taught the same in the new school, but McGuire said that is up to each individual school to decide.
Claypool parents charged that the principal of their school is not responding to parents and not keeping parents informed on the transition effort.
Valerie Rowland, mother of a Claypool student, asked McGuire if portables would be used at Eisenhower, if 150 students from Claypool will be added to Eisenhower and only 40 gifted and talented students will be moved out.
McGuire said, "We have no intention of putting portables at Eisenhower," and in response to Rowland's question on "how it will work," he said, "It will work in accordance with the law."
WCHS football coach Phil Jensen thanked the board and the public for being at the meeting, and said one reason he wants his children to grow up in Warsaw is because people care so much.
"We all care and we all want what's best for our kids," he said, and sometimes that includes making unpopular decisions.
Patron Thelma Clark said, "Your idea of closing schools to save money seems rather redundant when I read about you spending" more than $700,000 on a concession stand and restrooms in the new WCHS building project.
Harrison parent Paul Wagner said, "Just remember this: We have to work together ... This isn't a perfect world - not everything is perfect."
Wagner said he still supports the "close four build two" proposal from several months ago - closing Atwood, Claypool, Jefferson and Silver Lake and building two new schools.
Yeiter, an Atwood parent and a school board member, said, "I certainly hope this thing works out the way it's planned because if it doesn't, we're going to have a massive mess. I hope and pray that this thing works out for the best." [[In-content Ad]]
Issues surrounding moving the students from Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake elementaries next year into schools in Warsaw brought a standing-room-only crowd to Monday's Warsaw school board meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire announced that Tammy Ummel, North-Central Indiana Cooperative superintendent, is heading the transition team, and that "progress is being made on solving the demographic issues."
According to McGuire, Claypool elementary students will be moved to Eisenhower. Silver Lake students will go to Washington. Atwood students will go to Madison, with the exception of 19, who will go to Leesburg because of transportation routes.
Also, the gifted and talented program will be moved from Eisenhower to Lincoln, and the special eduction students will move from Washington to Jefferson.
McGuire said, "It appears no further redistricting and no additional bus routes will be necessary to accomplish the transition." No bus ride will be longer than one hour, he said.
In response to questions, McGuire said that no redistricting will be done, and that most of the transition communication will be handled through the individual principals.
Board member Ron Yeiter asked about additional classrooms in each building and the use of portable classrooms.
Ummel said, "The principals have looked at (the situation) and feel that they can absorb these students into their buildings" without using portables for classrooms - only for special classes, such as art and music.
"There are some existing classroom areas available and some space now being used that will be used differently next year," she said.
"It surprises me that we can take 420 kids and put them in these buildings when I thought we were at capacity with these schools," said board member Gene England.
He also said he did not believe the system could get all students to Warsaw within one hour, and transportation director Della Swain welcomed board members to ride a school bus.
McGuire said they hope to resolve where the teachers in the closed schools will go in the next couple of months.
However, "no teachers will lose their jobs," McGuire said, and the administration has been working with the Warsaw Community Education Association on "how best to resolve the placement issue."
Terry Sims, WCEA president, said, "WCEA has been assured by the administration that teachers won't lose jobs, and I'm going to take their word on that."
When asked where the teachers from the closed schools will go, McGuire said, "We're not lowering the number of teachers in the system, we will be trying to use them more efficiently." He also said two of the principals of the closed schools will become teachers and one will retire.
Several parents expressed concern that, since their children were taught Saxon phonics at the schools to be closed, they want them to be taught the same in the new school, but McGuire said that is up to each individual school to decide.
Claypool parents charged that the principal of their school is not responding to parents and not keeping parents informed on the transition effort.
Valerie Rowland, mother of a Claypool student, asked McGuire if portables would be used at Eisenhower, if 150 students from Claypool will be added to Eisenhower and only 40 gifted and talented students will be moved out.
McGuire said, "We have no intention of putting portables at Eisenhower," and in response to Rowland's question on "how it will work," he said, "It will work in accordance with the law."
WCHS football coach Phil Jensen thanked the board and the public for being at the meeting, and said one reason he wants his children to grow up in Warsaw is because people care so much.
"We all care and we all want what's best for our kids," he said, and sometimes that includes making unpopular decisions.
Patron Thelma Clark said, "Your idea of closing schools to save money seems rather redundant when I read about you spending" more than $700,000 on a concession stand and restrooms in the new WCHS building project.
Harrison parent Paul Wagner said, "Just remember this: We have to work together ... This isn't a perfect world - not everything is perfect."
Wagner said he still supports the "close four build two" proposal from several months ago - closing Atwood, Claypool, Jefferson and Silver Lake and building two new schools.
Yeiter, an Atwood parent and a school board member, said, "I certainly hope this thing works out the way it's planned because if it doesn't, we're going to have a massive mess. I hope and pray that this thing works out for the best." [[In-content Ad]]