Dear Rosa Parks parent/guardian:
On September 27, I met with the Rosa Parks community to discuss the long-range plan for Rosa Parks, and to seek feedback on potential short-term solutions that could be implemented in the 2013-14 school year to help address size concerns at the school. At the end of the meeting I shared that the team would be collating and analyzing your feedback, and that I would share your feedback back to you, along with next steps, by October 17.
As you recall, two potential short-term options were presented: Option 1: Temporary Grade Level Move, and Option 2: Temporary Boundary. Over 250 parents took the time to fill out the feedback form. The Rosa Parks community clearly cares very deeply about their school. I realize that both options presented come with significant pros and cons, and it was not easy for parents to consider either option.
That said, Option 2: Temporary Boundary emerged as the clear preference. The feedback received reflects that 77.34% agreed or strongly agreed with the temporary boundary option versus 13.28% who agreed or strongly agreed with the temporary grade level move option. The additional comments on the options presented also reflected that of the two options, the temporary boundary option is preferred.
Some other options beyond the two presented were also suggested in the feedback. The team did review other options suggested by parents, and while there were some creative ideas suggested, no other options suggested emerged as viable given transportation feasibility, cost, and resulting enrollment impacts. The complete feedback report is attached for your information.
Based on the feedback received, I have decided to move forward with a temporary boundary option for Rosa Parks Elementary School. As shared at the meeting on September 27, placing a limit on the number of all-day kindergarten classes at Rosa Parks also continues to be a possible option, which may be implemented in 2013-14 in conjunction with the temporary boundary.
The next steps are to engage the schools involved in the temporary boundary and to develop a process for determining the temporary boundary. This process will involve more opportunities for parent input.
Tomorrow you will receive another email from me with more specifics regarding the next steps in the process. In addition, given that the work to determine the temporary boundary must be complete prior to the start of the February kindergarten registration process begins, you will hear from me or other district staff on a regular basis between now and the end of this calendar year. Please make sure you read any emails on this subject, as they will likely contain both information and input opportunities such as survey links and meeting dates.
Thank you again for your feedback and participation in this important process.
Sincerely,
Dr. Traci Pierce
Superintendent
It's encouraging to see Dr. Pierce stepping up and tackling Rosa Parks over-enrollment, before the school reaches 1,000 students. Hopefully the district also has a plan to remove portables from the field, so kids can soon return to a safer, more usable playground space. My neighbors and I will be following this issue closely -- it's off to a good start!
ReplyDelete