Position on Superintendent's May 8, 2007 Proposal
We believe it is essential that, if re-districting becomes part of a future plan, schools affected should be at the 51% free and reduced lunch measure established as the district average or as close as we can get to the 51% figure as is practical given the logistics of neighborhoods and where children reside.
We believe proposals for magnet/model schools with a reinforced commitment to expand and enhance before and after school programming have merit and would be attractive to many parents.
We believe that it is essential to incorporate "choice mechanisms" offered by magnet programs to facilitate a healthy socio-economic mix where one is not readily obtained geographically. A "choice first" model, combined with socio-economic criteria, is desirable and will enable further evaluation of impact and development of an appropriate timeline to minimize the disruption within neighborhoods caused if future re-districting becomes necessary.
We encourage the school board to work with the Mayor and appropriate City departments to review proposals, to evaluate the potential impact on families and neighborhoods, and provide recommendations that best support attracting and retaining families.
We encourage further investigation of "walk-zones" surrounding each of our schools.
We believe that early childhood education is a critical component of any proposal for excellence and equity and suggest enhancement of early childhood education options.
We encourage the board to present a thoughtful timeline for decision-making which incorporates full presentations and selection of magnet/model concepts prior to adopting any re-districting plan.
We commend the administration and school board for actively engaging in thoughtful process for community input. We continue to encourage the School Board to go about this process methodically and slowly, taking care to communicate clearly and to bring the community together.
Building Burlington's Future
