Yet Another Redistricting Meeting Scheduled As Parents Seek Changes
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
In order for Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz and his team to review the suggestions and report back to the board, the school board scheduled another public meeting for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19. The board is expected to make a decision on the redistricting plan at its 7 p.m. Jan. 25 meeting.[[In-content Ad]]The boundaries for each school under the new redistricting plan appear on page 5A of today's edition.
In 2004, Warsaw Schools closed Atwood, Silver Lake and Claypool elementary schools. In 2007, the board voted to reopen, renovate and improve Claypool Elementary School. Also approved was the renovation of Jefferson Elementary and the construction of new Madison and Leesburg schools. To accommodate those changes, the school district had to look at redistricting.
Jonah Best lives on the east side of Ranch Road and his daughter currently attends Eisenhower Elementary School. He said he has an issue with his children crossing Ranch Road as it's a fairly busy road. He suggested moving the boundary for Washington and Eisenhower schools from the railroad tracks to Ranch Road. He said he'd like to see the west side go to Washington, and the east side go to Eisenhower.
Rich Freeman told the board the redistricting process was handled very well and professionally. He said a great job was done on it and he endorsed the final redistricting plan, which is dubbed the Tiger scenario. He did say that once the new Madison Elementary School is built that there will be more development near it then the school corporation anticipates.
While he was satisfied with the redistricting process, parent Mike Burgeon requested Springhill Acres remain a part of Harrison Elementary and not Lincoln Elementary. He said there was no compelling enough reason for the upheaval it will cause to his children.
TC Engle lives off CR 200S on Julian Drive. Her children go to Washington Elementary School. Under the Tiger scenario, they would go to Claypool. She did not want them to change, and she requested the school board keep students along Julian Drive at Washington.
Nancy Hoff lives in the Dells neighborhood. Students in the Dells currently go to Harrison, but will go to the new Madison under the Tiger scenario. During the public listening sessions, many Dells parents requested the Dells students stay at Harrison.
Hoff also said she was concerned about the increase of free and reduced lunch students who will go to Harrison Elementary under the Tiger plan.
She wanted to know why it was decided The Dells would go to Madison.
Going in to the redistricting process, Hintz said, they felt they needed to move students north and south in the school corporation and create room for future growth in the center of the school district. They felt it best to move Barrington Hills and the Dells to Madison to give the new school a good start.
"We felt we really had to move students north and south to make this work," Hintz said of the redistricting.
Some schools will see an increase in their free and reduced lunch student numbers, others will see a decrease. As a school corporation, Warsaw Schools does what's best for all students, he said. The redistricting also brings school student numbers closer together.
Another Dells resident said she was really concerned about the middle schools. She said she didn't feel there was much discussion on the middle schools at the public meetings. Edgewood is smaller than Lakeview and it appears it seems like it will be overcrowded. Lakeview is closer to her residence, she said, and seems to have more room. She requested the board really consider the middle school issue.
Gary Parker said he wants to see equality in all school buildings. He said the school corporation should eliminate school choice. A woman respectively disagreed because sometimes child care doesn't fit in a box.
School Board Vice President Dan Robinson said it appears the redistricting committee did a pretty good job. No plan is going to be perfect and there never will be 100 percent satisfaction.
"I don't think it's the end of the world to have to move" to another school, Robinson said.
Tammy Dalton, school board member, served on the committee so she's heard many of the issues previously. She said it's been a good process and they can't make everyone happy.
Board member Delores Hearn and Board President Deb Wiggins agreed the board definitely needs to talk more about the middle schools.
"The biggest problem I see is the comfort level of parents," Ron Yeiter, board member, said. "I feel for the parents out there, however, the quality of education will not diminish."
He said it will be enhanced with the new school buildings and no overcrowding in schools. Safety also will improve.
"There's so many pluses to this that I think it will outweigh any problems," Yeiter said.
In order for Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz and his team to review the suggestions and report back to the board, the school board scheduled another public meeting for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19. The board is expected to make a decision on the redistricting plan at its 7 p.m. Jan. 25 meeting.[[In-content Ad]]The boundaries for each school under the new redistricting plan appear on page 5A of today's edition.
In 2004, Warsaw Schools closed Atwood, Silver Lake and Claypool elementary schools. In 2007, the board voted to reopen, renovate and improve Claypool Elementary School. Also approved was the renovation of Jefferson Elementary and the construction of new Madison and Leesburg schools. To accommodate those changes, the school district had to look at redistricting.
Jonah Best lives on the east side of Ranch Road and his daughter currently attends Eisenhower Elementary School. He said he has an issue with his children crossing Ranch Road as it's a fairly busy road. He suggested moving the boundary for Washington and Eisenhower schools from the railroad tracks to Ranch Road. He said he'd like to see the west side go to Washington, and the east side go to Eisenhower.
Rich Freeman told the board the redistricting process was handled very well and professionally. He said a great job was done on it and he endorsed the final redistricting plan, which is dubbed the Tiger scenario. He did say that once the new Madison Elementary School is built that there will be more development near it then the school corporation anticipates.
While he was satisfied with the redistricting process, parent Mike Burgeon requested Springhill Acres remain a part of Harrison Elementary and not Lincoln Elementary. He said there was no compelling enough reason for the upheaval it will cause to his children.
TC Engle lives off CR 200S on Julian Drive. Her children go to Washington Elementary School. Under the Tiger scenario, they would go to Claypool. She did not want them to change, and she requested the school board keep students along Julian Drive at Washington.
Nancy Hoff lives in the Dells neighborhood. Students in the Dells currently go to Harrison, but will go to the new Madison under the Tiger scenario. During the public listening sessions, many Dells parents requested the Dells students stay at Harrison.
Hoff also said she was concerned about the increase of free and reduced lunch students who will go to Harrison Elementary under the Tiger plan.
She wanted to know why it was decided The Dells would go to Madison.
Going in to the redistricting process, Hintz said, they felt they needed to move students north and south in the school corporation and create room for future growth in the center of the school district. They felt it best to move Barrington Hills and the Dells to Madison to give the new school a good start.
"We felt we really had to move students north and south to make this work," Hintz said of the redistricting.
Some schools will see an increase in their free and reduced lunch student numbers, others will see a decrease. As a school corporation, Warsaw Schools does what's best for all students, he said. The redistricting also brings school student numbers closer together.
Another Dells resident said she was really concerned about the middle schools. She said she didn't feel there was much discussion on the middle schools at the public meetings. Edgewood is smaller than Lakeview and it appears it seems like it will be overcrowded. Lakeview is closer to her residence, she said, and seems to have more room. She requested the board really consider the middle school issue.
Gary Parker said he wants to see equality in all school buildings. He said the school corporation should eliminate school choice. A woman respectively disagreed because sometimes child care doesn't fit in a box.
School Board Vice President Dan Robinson said it appears the redistricting committee did a pretty good job. No plan is going to be perfect and there never will be 100 percent satisfaction.
"I don't think it's the end of the world to have to move" to another school, Robinson said.
Tammy Dalton, school board member, served on the committee so she's heard many of the issues previously. She said it's been a good process and they can't make everyone happy.
Board member Delores Hearn and Board President Deb Wiggins agreed the board definitely needs to talk more about the middle schools.
"The biggest problem I see is the comfort level of parents," Ron Yeiter, board member, said. "I feel for the parents out there, however, the quality of education will not diminish."
He said it will be enhanced with the new school buildings and no overcrowding in schools. Safety also will improve.
"There's so many pluses to this that I think it will outweigh any problems," Yeiter said.
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