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Committees tackle school plan
By Tom Munds
Five committees are organized and beginning their planning sessions to work out recommendations to put a board-approved proposal for school changes into action.
Superintendent Sean McDaniel presented district-changing proposals in December and, at a special Jan. 15 meeting, the Englewood School Board unanimously approved the five elements of the final draft of the proposal that include:
Combine five elementary schools into four, resulting in four kindergarten through fifth-grade schools at Clayton, Charles Hay, Cherrelyn and Bishop.
Change the uses of the Lowell Annex by moving the Englewood Leadership Academy and Early Childhood Education programs out of the building and investigate the possibility of finding a tenant to lease the building.
Relocate the Englewood Leadership Academy to a site that best meets the needs of the students, staff, community and district.
Relocate the Early Childhood Education programs and staffs to a single location at the Maddox building.
Redraw elementary school district boundaries to align them with the reorganization. Provided the details can be finalized, the changes will begin when school resumes in August 2009.
Peg LaPlante, deputy superintendent, said there is a group looking at where to relocate the Englewood Leadership Academy and discussing how to possibly expand the number of grades in the academy. Another committee is exploring what changes need to be made to the Maddox building to accommodate the more than 200 children enrolled in the district’s Early Childhood Education program.
Additionally, LaPlante said the teacher and parents of special needs students who are enrolled in the Alternative Development and Academic Program Training are also looking for a new location since Maddox will no longer be an elementary school.
Originally, the suggestion was to have an ADAPT class at each elementary school. That was scrapped in favor of a single program.
Clayton was ruled out because it is a two-story building and there is no elevator. Also, access at Cherrelyn didn’t appear favorable for the program.
So, the committee is looking at Hay and Bishop elementary schools. They will evaluate the existing facilities and suggest changes or additions to meet the special needs of the ADAPT students.
A fourth committee is exploring the idea of a freshman academy while another committee will help develop boundaries for the four elementary schools.
LaPlante said the decision on elementary school districts is delayed till decisions are made on the four principals. Also, each school will have an open house so former Maddox students can choose where they will attend classes.
After that, LaPlante said, the district will be divided into four elementary school attendance areas with about the same number of students in each area.
McDaniel stressed the five elements in the approved plan are frameworks and, Jan. 16, he had staff strategy sessions, followed by staff members setting up the five committees, one to work on each of the five elements of the proposal.
“Any change is hard but I am pleased at the number of people who jumped on board, rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help with the planning,” the superintendent said.
Superintendent Sean McDaniel presented district-changing proposals in December and, at a special Jan. 15 meeting, the Englewood School Board unanimously approved the five elements of the final draft of the proposal that include:
Combine five elementary schools into four, resulting in four kindergarten through fifth-grade schools at Clayton, Charles Hay, Cherrelyn and Bishop.
Change the uses of the Lowell Annex by moving the Englewood Leadership Academy and Early Childhood Education programs out of the building and investigate the possibility of finding a tenant to lease the building.
Relocate the Englewood Leadership Academy to a site that best meets the needs of the students, staff, community and district.
Relocate the Early Childhood Education programs and staffs to a single location at the Maddox building.
Redraw elementary school district boundaries to align them with the reorganization. Provided the details can be finalized, the changes will begin when school resumes in August 2009.
Peg LaPlante, deputy superintendent, said there is a group looking at where to relocate the Englewood Leadership Academy and discussing how to possibly expand the number of grades in the academy. Another committee is exploring what changes need to be made to the Maddox building to accommodate the more than 200 children enrolled in the district’s Early Childhood Education program.
Additionally, LaPlante said the teacher and parents of special needs students who are enrolled in the Alternative Development and Academic Program Training are also looking for a new location since Maddox will no longer be an elementary school.
Originally, the suggestion was to have an ADAPT class at each elementary school. That was scrapped in favor of a single program.
Clayton was ruled out because it is a two-story building and there is no elevator. Also, access at Cherrelyn didn’t appear favorable for the program.
So, the committee is looking at Hay and Bishop elementary schools. They will evaluate the existing facilities and suggest changes or additions to meet the special needs of the ADAPT students.
A fourth committee is exploring the idea of a freshman academy while another committee will help develop boundaries for the four elementary schools.
LaPlante said the decision on elementary school districts is delayed till decisions are made on the four principals. Also, each school will have an open house so former Maddox students can choose where they will attend classes.
After that, LaPlante said, the district will be divided into four elementary school attendance areas with about the same number of students in each area.
McDaniel stressed the five elements in the approved plan are frameworks and, Jan. 16, he had staff strategy sessions, followed by staff members setting up the five committees, one to work on each of the five elements of the proposal.
“Any change is hard but I am pleased at the number of people who jumped on board, rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help with the planning,” the superintendent said.
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