There was some controversy this week in my area over a proposal to reorganize three of the local elementary schools. Parents were outraged and protests and petitions were formed to halt the proposal from becoming a reality.

Completely Reorganizing Three Schools

Currently, there are three elementary schools that each house kindergarten through fifth grade. The proposed change would make it so each school housed only two grades. One school would focus on kindergarten and first grade. The second school would be for second and third graders. The third school would be for fourth and fifth graders. The idea behind this change was that each school could focus on fewer age groups to enhance learning.

The Real Reason For Restructuring

I don't understand most of the financial jargon that thrown around but it looks like some significant state funding was cut that goes to the elementary schools. The schools receive funding to support students whose parents can't afford tuition and fees for their kids to attend specific elementary schools. For the first time in a long time there was a huge drop so that less children needed state help paying for tuition.

Thinking the schools don't need as much money the local government decided to cut funding to these schools which hurts all three. Without the money they have been receiving from the government the schools were pushed into panic mode trying to figure out how to save money to keep functioning. By restructuring the schools to have two grades instead of six the school board believed they could make due better with the drop in funding.

Moving Kids Around and Causing Parents Problems

The problem with this idea is that kids will have to go to a different school every two years. Instead of being in the same school kindergarten through fifth grade they will shuffle from school to school every two years. If parents have multiple kids in different grades then they will have children who have to go to different schools in different parts of town.

For example: a parent who has a first grader and a fifth grader would have to figure out how to pick up both kids getting out of school at the same time, at different schools in different parts of town. Each switch to a new school means parents have to drive different distances. At the moment parents send their kids to the school closest to them. If the kids are sent to a school further away that is an inconvenience.

I can see this being a huge problem in the winter when schools often get let out early for snow. Parents would have to travel further if their kid was at a far off school away from their home and work during bad weather.

Enough Parents Protested To Stop The Proposal

Thankfully the school board dropped the idea after a few weeks of dealing with angry parents. I'm not sure what the schools will do about the dropped funding but hopefully a solution will be found so the local schools aren't hurt badly. It's a shame the government dropped such significant funding to the schools. Schools are already underfunded and teachers paid far too little. I know teachers who pay for their own supplies out of their own pockets. Just because more parents can pay tuition doesn't mean that a little extra government funding isn't needed and won't hurt if lost.

photo credit: pixabay

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