Monday, August 27, 2007

Traditional Schools BUSTING at the seams!

If the projections hold true, over 75% of the traditional calendar elementary schools will be over capacity today.  In contrast, almost every one of the year-round schools has available space to take more students.

My younger children are in one of the newly converted year-round elementary schools, and they have already started the year AND have also experienced a full track-out period for the current school year.  As far as they’re concerned, the school year has been going smoothly.  They’re at a school they know, they have friends in their classes, and now that their brother and sister are in school it will be more “normal” to them.

Today my older 2 started classes at the middle school.  Since their younger siblings have essentially been “going to school” since early July, they feel fortunate (but guilty) to have had a real summer.  We met their teachers last week and saw some friends in each of their classes, so they were looking forward to seeing what the new year has in store for them.  We are walkers so my kids don’t ride the bus, but the bus service appeared to be operating “as usual”.

I feel a little bit left out now that they’ve all abandoned me for school!  We had a fun and busy summer, and I miss my kids already.  I’m sure we’ll have a great year once I adjust to being solo during the days.

The latest talk at bus stops, carpool lines, and on the news pertains to the overcrowded situation at the majority of Wake County’s traditional schools.  Obviously, all we really know right now are the “projections”, and actual numbers will not be available until after the 10th day of school (sometime the week of September 10). 

From what I’ve been told, we should expect a HUGE uproar from parents at traditional schools now that they are in such an overcrowded situation.  Last year, we were on the traditional calendar and were technically “over crowded”.  To spend time in the school (I was there EVERY day) it never felt over crowded to me.  My children had the earliest lunch slot AND the latest, and 2 of my 3 were in mobile classrooms.  Obviously, if given the choice (all things being equal) I would have preferred to have all 3 classrooms in the building and all 3 children eating lunch at 12:00 noon.  HOWEVER, when faced with the choice of staying traditional with early/late lunch and having classes in mobiles OR converting to a year-round schedule, the lunch hours and mobiles were small sacrifices to make in order to keep our school on a traditional calendar.  The majority of families at our school felt the same way, and we had come to accept these small “inconveniences”.  (However, even with the conversion to YR one of my children is in a modular, 1 has lunch at 10:40 AM, and 1 has lunch at 1:40 PM so even though we’re under capacity those things didn’t “go away” with the conversion either)

NOW, all I’ve heard the past few weeks from friends at the traditional schools is “bringing in mobiles is unacceptable”, “I will not have my child eating lunch at 10:45 AM”, or “the situation had better be much more positive than we’ve been told or there will be trouble”.  I’m afraid that the things we had already accepted are going to become MAJOR inconveniences to families who have not had to experience them before.  If the families who were forced to convert to YR schools seemed upset, I’m guessing that the unhappiness experienced by these traditional calendar families will be MUCH greater.

How was the first day for everyone else?  Were the busses on time?  Classes full? 

Our first day was fine.  I sent 1 to high school, 1 to middle school & 1 to elementary.  My high schooler’s bus never came, the middle one goes in the car, and my little guys’ bus never came either.  He started at a new ES today.  Great school, he’s there because we moved not because we were upset that our “old” school was one that was unfortunately switched to MYR.  It was hard for him to go into unfamiliar territory, and begged last night to go back....however with 3 children, at 3 different locations no matter how I put it on paper I just didn’t see how it would work, thus I did not apply for a transfer, and he’s at a new school....it just so happens it’s an added bonus that it’s traditional calendar.  I too wished for familiar waters this AM as I dropped him off, however I must say it was kinda nice getting thru the carpool line in 2 minutes, something we had not experienced at our old (yet familiar school)......I’m trying to look at all the positives about our new school but still the comfort of our “old” school this AM may have made sending my oldest to HS, a little easier!  However, bus issues aside all 3 kids had a great day, my oldest finally believes what I told him, that HS would be different & my little guy...he had a great day too, and made some new friends!

However to all my friends at our “old school”...you know who you are...I wish you a great year, and by the way....what are those mobiles doing in the front of the school????

I hope there is an outcry and I hope that the truth of that matter, THAT THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, is told too.

Once again, the cause is supply being set before demand is known.

Hi Lisa M:

If you’re referencing the mobiles in front of Leesville Elementary school I’ve been told that they’re going to be assembled into an 8-class modular for the high school.  They’re clearing a space between the Middle School and the High School for them, and they aren’t needed until 2nd semester so they may be sitting on the Elementary School land for awhile.

Rich: 

It is my hope that the school board is able to see that a lot of changes need to be made for the coming year, and the mistakes forced on everyone this year will be taken care of by a more realistic plan for 2008-09.  Parental input should be at the TOP of the list.  I know I’ll stay involved.