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Fourth grade to move?
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| Patricia Gallagher speaks to the Willcox School Board last week on moving the fourth grade back to WES. (AINSLEE S. WITTIG/ARN) |
By Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News
About 40 people attended a special Willcox School Board meeting last Monday, June 29, in the Willcox High School auditorium. Two spoke publicly to ask the board for swift approval of plan to move the fourth grade to the elementary school within the next six weeks. No one in the room voiced opposition to the plan.
When the issue was brought up just a few months ago, some school board members balked at the plan, remembering the process nine years ago that pushed them to make a decision to move the fourth grade class from the overcrowded elementary school up to the middle school, where growth could occur.
Now a board member, David Collins, who pushed as a parent for the move not to occur in 2000, said he would approve of moving the class back to WES if administration is sure there would not be a need to move them back to WMS in the future, should enrollment increase again.
Dr. Richard Rundhaug, superintendent of Willcox Schools, said the cyclical enrollment may eventually increase again from the current low end of the cycle, but he said portable/modular buildings could be used to house extra classrooms if necessary for several years. The cost for two modular buildings would be about $80,000 or about $16,000 out of capital budget each year for10 years, he said, which would be "acceptable." He said leasing is also possible.
But he added, "We have nine classrooms currently available. Even if we use four (for the fourth grade), we still have more."
Willcox elementary principal Valerie Simon and middle school principal Doris Jones made a presentation at the meeting on the educational and developmental advantages for moving the fourth grade back to WES, as well as their plans for transition and for anticipated growth.
Simon listed some advantages for fourth graders in elementary school:
Developmental - WES can offer sheltered opportunities to practice independence and responsibility.
Academic - Instructional blocks are longer with fewer transitions at WES than at WMS and this self-contained environment is better for younger children's learning. Fourth grade students can adjust from the "learning to read" stage of development to the "reading to learn" stage in a familiar atmosphere, which could lead to increased student achievement.
Social - Fourth graders are able to be positive role models for younger students, as well as interact with them during the 21st Century Horizons program. They can also be exposed to student government without being formally exposed at the middle school.
Jones listed some advantages for the middle school students if fourth graders move to WES:
Teachers will have ability to better meet the needs of the 5th and 6th graders with respect to remediation as well as accelerated and gifted students.
Scheduling of classes and electives would be easier. The currently overcrowded cafeteria schedule for lunches would also work out better, including starting lunch at a more reasonable time and giving students longer to eat it. Rainy day schedule would no longer require kids to wait in the gymnasium for their turn to eat.
The 5th and 6th grades would form an "intermediate school" within the middle school to provide a "cloistered environment," separated from the 7th and 8th grades to limit their interaction.
The plan to make the move, should it be approved at the next meeting, July 14, would be to begin moving the elementary grades and packing the other rooms during the week of July 15-21; and moving the middle school 5th and 6th grades into the Intermediate Wing at the middle school during the week of July 22-30. The move would be accomplished seven days before the start of school.
"We hope to compensate the teachers for two days of moving and two days of getting reoriented," said Jones, adding, "Many of the parents have volunteered to help move."
Cindy Chaffey said, reading a letter she wrote to the board, "As parents we do not feel that having the fourth grade in the middle school along with 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade is the best option. The main reason is that fourth graders are not developmentally ready to be the youngest in a larger, academically oriented campus. Fourth graders become subject to the rules and procedures of the middle school which was not designed with their needs in mind. For example, a fourth grader with a hole in their jeans is different from a 8th grader with holes in their jeans as far as modesty, and accountability.
"We greatly appreciate your time and consideration on this issue, and would request that every effort be made to allow this to happen for the 2009-2010 school year. Our children are worth our very best efforts," Chaffey said.
With respect to discipline, she said, "We recently had a Site Council meeting where Mr. Patterson, the middle school diciplinarian, said that 40 percent of his dicipline problems occur between the 4th and 5th graders. Mrs. Simon felt that the problems she has, and would have in her school, with the 4th grade, would be minor."
Patricia Gallagher told the board, "My husband and I feel it is in the best interest of our two boys and the rest of the community to move the fourth grade back to the elementary school. Children not going through puberty should not be with children who are - at least not at school."
Gallagher continued, "We have tried to get the boys in Cochise or Bonita for this reason, but they have a long waiting list. We are very passionate about this and we want to give them the best start in life that we can."
Rundhaug said that they have confirmed that six to eight families have moved their children from Willcox School District as a result of this issue - a fiscal impact of one-fourth or one-fifth of the budget deficit caused by declining enrollment ($200,000).
"We can't ignore the important financial ramifications as well as the other issues," he told the board.
A school board meeting will be held Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. and the public will be allowed to speak. A decision on the issue will likely be made by the board that night, which will allow enough time to move prior to the start of school should the board approve the matter.
The School Facilities Board (SFB) must also approve the move, and won't be able to vote on it until Aug. 5.
However, Rundhaug said members of the SFB have told him there would be no reason not to approve it, as this is not an issue where the SFB would be under obligation to come up with new construction funds for the district.
"The risk is minimal and I think we could take that chance and start moving," Rundaug said.
When the issue was brought up just a few months ago, some school board members balked at the plan, remembering the process nine years ago that pushed them to make a decision to move the fourth grade class from the overcrowded elementary school up to the middle school, where growth could occur.
Now a board member, David Collins, who pushed as a parent for the move not to occur in 2000, said he would approve of moving the class back to WES if administration is sure there would not be a need to move them back to WMS in the future, should enrollment increase again.
Dr. Richard Rundhaug, superintendent of Willcox Schools, said the cyclical enrollment may eventually increase again from the current low end of the cycle, but he said portable/modular buildings could be used to house extra classrooms if necessary for several years. The cost for two modular buildings would be about $80,000 or about $16,000 out of capital budget each year for10 years, he said, which would be "acceptable." He said leasing is also possible.
But he added, "We have nine classrooms currently available. Even if we use four (for the fourth grade), we still have more."
Willcox elementary principal Valerie Simon and middle school principal Doris Jones made a presentation at the meeting on the educational and developmental advantages for moving the fourth grade back to WES, as well as their plans for transition and for anticipated growth.
Simon listed some advantages for fourth graders in elementary school:
Jones listed some advantages for the middle school students if fourth graders move to WES:
The plan to make the move, should it be approved at the next meeting, July 14, would be to begin moving the elementary grades and packing the other rooms during the week of July 15-21; and moving the middle school 5th and 6th grades into the Intermediate Wing at the middle school during the week of July 22-30. The move would be accomplished seven days before the start of school.
"We hope to compensate the teachers for two days of moving and two days of getting reoriented," said Jones, adding, "Many of the parents have volunteered to help move."
Cindy Chaffey said, reading a letter she wrote to the board, "As parents we do not feel that having the fourth grade in the middle school along with 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade is the best option. The main reason is that fourth graders are not developmentally ready to be the youngest in a larger, academically oriented campus. Fourth graders become subject to the rules and procedures of the middle school which was not designed with their needs in mind. For example, a fourth grader with a hole in their jeans is different from a 8th grader with holes in their jeans as far as modesty, and accountability.
"We greatly appreciate your time and consideration on this issue, and would request that every effort be made to allow this to happen for the 2009-2010 school year. Our children are worth our very best efforts," Chaffey said.
With respect to discipline, she said, "We recently had a Site Council meeting where Mr. Patterson, the middle school diciplinarian, said that 40 percent of his dicipline problems occur between the 4th and 5th graders. Mrs. Simon felt that the problems she has, and would have in her school, with the 4th grade, would be minor."
Patricia Gallagher told the board, "My husband and I feel it is in the best interest of our two boys and the rest of the community to move the fourth grade back to the elementary school. Children not going through puberty should not be with children who are - at least not at school."
Gallagher continued, "We have tried to get the boys in Cochise or Bonita for this reason, but they have a long waiting list. We are very passionate about this and we want to give them the best start in life that we can."
Rundhaug said that they have confirmed that six to eight families have moved their children from Willcox School District as a result of this issue - a fiscal impact of one-fourth or one-fifth of the budget deficit caused by declining enrollment ($200,000).
"We can't ignore the important financial ramifications as well as the other issues," he told the board.
A school board meeting will be held Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. and the public will be allowed to speak. A decision on the issue will likely be made by the board that night, which will allow enough time to move prior to the start of school should the board approve the matter.
The School Facilities Board (SFB) must also approve the move, and won't be able to vote on it until Aug. 5.
However, Rundhaug said members of the SFB have told him there would be no reason not to approve it, as this is not an issue where the SFB would be under obligation to come up with new construction funds for the district.
"The risk is minimal and I think we could take that chance and start moving," Rundaug said.
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