Jefferson County Schools New Student Assignment Plan (Lexington, Louisville: home, neighborhood)

[nlschr0]

I recently posted this information in another thread but didn't want it to get buried. The district just announced its two proposals for the new "student assignment plan" that determines how and where students will be assigned to schools throughout the county. I know a lot of people who are relocating are obviously concerned about where their child will attend school, so this will give an idea of what the district is proposing for the future. There is a lot of information here about what clusters are proposed for the new busing plan.

From the Courier-Journal article Desegregation plan Q & A:

The Jefferson County Board of Education is expected to vote on a plan in May. Before then, the board plans to gain public input through a series of forums, polls and focus groups.

Q: How can I give my opinion about the proposals?

A: Over the next three months, the district will hold several focus groups, as well as public forums at four sites throughout the community.

Q: Why doesn't the district just let all students attend their neighborhood school?

A: The district determined that such a plan would result in resegregation, force major reassignments and threaten school choice and magnet programs.

Q: Does this mean my child can attend any school in his or her cluster, as long as there is room?

A: Not necessarily. Choices would be limited by the 15-50 ratio that takes into account neighborhood levels of education, median income and racial makeup. But officials believe families will have roughly the same chance of getting one of their school choices as they have in the past.


Also of interest:
An overview of the coverage plus a GREAT interactive map:
courier-journal.com » The Courier-Journal » Louisville, KY » Local News

From the district:
Student Assignment Plan (http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/AboutUs/StudentAssigPlan.html - broken link)

Explanation of the maps used in the proposals:
Understanding the desegregation maps

[luv4mykids]

You know, I'm starting to think JCPS is just going to make this whole thing worse. It's like they've been told to fix it, so instead of doing the most sensible thing, they mess it up some more.

I thought it was interesting they said they wouldn't return to resides schools for it would over-crowd 1/3 the elementary schools - I would still like to see that proof, for I just don't believe it. Some may be, however I would say it's a lot of the ones on the east end, but thought that was why the two new schools were built?

[K. Dunn]

This kind of stuff is %$&*! People work hard to buy a home in a area in which they feel there kids will be able to go to a good school in "that" neighborhood. Now they might take those kids out of the schools they are currently in, and bus them somewhere else to just fill some kind of quota. Really ridiculous! I think it should be up to the family where they want to live to insure where there child goes to school, not up to some school board or government body. I think you will see some families moving out of the county borders to prevent this if it happens or of course attempting to put there kids into private if they can afford it. I understand what they are attempting to do and why, but this punishes some to help others. Don't like it.

[tomocox]

The great advantage of Oldham County is that when there is a "reassignment" odds are the new school is equal or a bit better than the old school. Here we are in the middle of a new assignment because of a new school coming on-line next fall, plus increased capacity at Crestwood with its new building. In Oldham County, that will mean that of the elementary schools only four have buildings older than 2000. Of those four, Liberty is consistantly one of Kentucky's top 10 performers. LaGrange is showing terrific improvement even in the light of having the most free/reduced lunches in the county, Centerfield hangs right in there in a 20 year old building, and Camden Station was built in the early 1990's. No matter what school, they all feature electronic classrooms fully capable of internet resources.

It doesn't mean that with the projected Oldham County growth over the next 15 years, there won't be occasional frustrations, but even with the 2008 changes, 95% of all students reassigned will still be within a few minutes from home to school, with many actually being closer.

As another bonus, Oldham County is currently building a new state of the art central library in LaGrange with plans developing build a new facility in N. Oldham and renovate the S. Oldham library.

[Elaine S.]

I was flat out told by a grade school principal that my kid, who would be in first grade by that time, could quite possibly be reassigned to another school. And just how do you explain that to a kid who is losing friends, familiarity and stability? It seems like JCPS is doing its best to scare off relocators or force everyone to move to another county or choose private/parochial.

[Back2TX]

Actually... they are doing this because the Supreme Court says to. You can thank a parent for this chain of events.
I understand your frustration... when I was a kid I was bused to various schools and didn't grow up going to the same schools as my peers throughout the years. Change isn't easy on a kid.

[Windwalker]

Yeah, I understand the need for desegregation, but kids do need more stability that constantly redrawing school plans allows. My daughter has a friend who in the last 8 years has gone to 5 different schools. And the one she's in now is closing next year. Crazy! (Note: this is not in Louisville, but in a rust belt city in n.e.)

[tomocox]

It should not be about desegregation, EVER! It should always be about the quality of education each child receives, ALWAYS! One of the most difficult challenges before every educator who has two or more children under their tutelage is to maximize each child's education with the child's personal ability/capability without "averaging" by reducing one child's opportunity to learn while focusing on giving the other child more attention or emphasis. Bussing automatically reduces many bright children's opportunities in order to raise others. The question is, "how can we lift the "others" without reducing the "bright's?"

[censusdata]

This is the main reason why urban county school districts have low population growth.

I've know people in Lexington who moved every couple of years to keep their kids in the same school - that is a ridiculous system!

Vouchers are the answer for the middle and lower class, the rich can afford expensive private schools already.

[pmkeating]

Speaking as someone who may be relocating to the Louisville area, I can say that we are making it a priority to live outside Jefferson County for this very reason. No one has shown that desegregation has helped anything, anywhere. It just costs a lot of money and time that could be better spent educating.