Today I am going to tell you a story about some friends of ours. Let's name the parents Bob and Betty, and the kids Billy(2nd grd) and Bonnie (5th grd).
Well, about 6 years ago Bob and Betty decided that Meadow Lake was not the elementary school they wanted their kids to attend, so they open enrolled to Zachary Lane Elementary. Bonnie, and then Billy attended ZLE, where they made friends and excelled in their classes. While this was happening, Betty drove the kids to school daily, volunteered often and made many friends. Bonnie and the family even endured the 3/4th grd split class one year. (different story)
Now, Bonnie is a very bright child that excels in all her classes and really wants to go to the Plymouth Middle School pre-AP program with her classmates and friends. Therefore Betty completes the intradistrict transfer and pre-AP application process. Betty even accepts the responsibility and cost of driving to PMS along with ZLE.
So Betty and Bonnie wait anxiously for a reply......
The reply comes in the form of multiple letters. One says that Bonnie will not be able to attend PMS pre-AP because it is full. Another accepts Bonnie into the RMS IB program. The third welcomes them to RMS.
I am not sure the moral to this story, however I am still trying to figure out why we are budgeting $375,000 to intra-district transfer busing when these folks who were clearly on the ZLE/PMS/AHS path can not get into PMS? (at no cost to the district...) Unless these buses only go from SW to NE....
As always, all thoughts welcome.
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4 comments:
So she didn't even apply to IB?
Wow, that's terrible. I hope those parents raise a ruckus.
At least 281 is not kicking their younger child back to Meadow Lake. That's what's happening to the kids who live in the Meadow Lake neighborhood and transfer to Pilgrim Lane. They've been told there's no room for them to move with their peers to ZLE or Sonnesyn.
It's all just wrong.
This is just another example that the board should have thought twice about closing two elementary schools in the west! Unfortunatley, many of the kids that can't get into ZLE have since filled out open enrollment papers in Wayzata. Many other kids are heading to Providence, St. Raphael, Good Shepard, etc. It's a shame because these kids are bright, well behaved children whose parents are involved in the district. It's horrible to lose these kids, but I guess I can't blame them. Our board continues to make horrible decisions. Continuing the intra-district busing is unbelievable. So much for their argument about four elementary schools that feed to one middle and than high school! If families still have the choice (which is nice) than they should drive their kids to school!
Sounds like the Osseo and RAS school woes have pretty much filled up Wayzata. I heard they have closed new open enrollment in the majority of grades...
I am really trying to understand what the RAS "powers that be" are trying to do, however it seems forcing people into the Eastern schools and the IB program is like trying to dam up a river with your hand. The water just flows by.
I'm not sure how to give parents with the means to open enroll / move, the hope that the Meadow Lake, Northport, Lakeview, Forest & RMS challenges can be overcome. Without this the hands are just like a sieve...
I am hoping some of these folks take up the challenge of enrolling their kids in and helping out at these schools, without this the schools and neighborhoods will continue to head the wrong direction. That would be really bad for those cities.
I am one of those parents that will choose to exercise my choice under the AYP law so my children will not be required to attend Meadow Lake.
My bright children could help the school, but it would be at a cost to them and I'm not willing to make them pay for 281's mistakes. They are paying enough already.
It all won't matter in two years anyway, because Northport, Lakeview and Meadow Lake will have to be closed and restructured in accordance with the AYP law. I wonder how 281 will accomplish this? Maybe by combining NP and LV under one roof and switching to a K-6 district model? Maybe by achieving their precious dual-immersion program by putting RSI at Meadow Lake?
Oh...that's right they already said that those were impossible choices.
As Christine said...it's all just wrong.
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