Union County School Board proposes new student realignment plan (Monroe: transport, rich)
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"Neighborhood schools" really is a code word for segregated schools in our case. After tracing all the changes the committee got bombarded with at the last meeting, it appears this redistricting is going to make UCPS more racially and economically segregated than it has ever been. "Transportation efficiency" and distance are a total red herring. Economically disadvantaged and minority kids are being bused great distances eastward. So, "neighborhood schools" appears to be exclusively for economically advantaged, white areas. The maps speak for themselves.
Again....the optics don't lie. they are code words
Again....the optics don't lie. they are code words
I wonder what a computer generated map in which everyone went to the closest school would look like. I know it wouldn't really be feasible, but I bet that map would look nothing like the ones being produced. Closest schools only matter for certain areas.
The demographer clearly feels Map G is the one that best meets the criteria established by the BOE, but that one got tossed aside immediately. Obviously, the criteria below ARE listed in "order of importance" and "neighborhood schools" is the only one that matters (though it apparently only matters for some people).
UCPS Student Realignment Study Criteria
Union County Public Schools has developed a body of criteria to guide this student realignment study. The following criteria are not listed in any particular order of importance:
-A Neighborhood School Concept – Students should be assigned to the school within the closest proximity to their homes where possible.
-Maximize busing efficiencies in transportation of students – Make every effort to account for transportation (school bus and car rider), parent commuting patterns, balance busing travel time, and costs.
-Establish clear feeder patterns and continuity – Make every effort to establish a clear feeder pattern system (especially from middle school to high school), although it may be necessary to split an elementary school to feed to two or more middle schools. Make every effort to divide a large enough population so students can continue to the next level with familiar faces.
-Balance school facility utilization – Make every effort to have equitable utilization (where possible) across the district and in accordance with school capacities and funded allotment ratios in accordance with state law. Make efficient use of available space.
-Account for future growth – Allow for increasing attendance in high growth areas.
-Allow for grandfathering – Allow for a “no questions asked” grandfathering option for parents who do not feel it is in the best interest of their children to endure another move.
-Minimize impact on students – Attempt to minimize the amount of students impacted when making boundary adjustments.
-Make every effort to establish contiguous zones – Avoid creating zones that are not connected to the primary attendance zone, where possible.
-Use major roads and natural boundaries wherever feasible to define attendance zones – Minimize the amount of students who need to cross major roads and other barriers to maximize the safety and security of students, and optimize transportation efficiency by containing bus routes within natural boundaries wherever possible to avoid traffic delays and late arrivals.
If this was truly about "neighborhood schools" (closest schools) for all, they'd draw a fairly symmetrical circle around Monroe High in the center of the county as a starting point and work out from there. That's sure not what this map looks like.
If this was truly about "neighborhood schools" (closest schools) for all, they'd draw a fairly symmetrical circle around Monroe High in the center of the county as a starting point and work out from there. That's sure not what this map looks like.
LOL!!!!!I'm glad it's not cocktail hour yet, or I'd have shot chardonnay out of my nose reading that!
I UCPS Student Realignment Study Criteria
Union County Public Schools has developed a body of criteria to guide this student realignment study. The following criteria are not listed in any particular order of importance:
-A Neighborhood School Concept – Students in Merrill and Hientel's neighborhoods should be assigned to the school within the closest proximity to their homes where possible.
-Maximize busing efficiencies in transportation of students – Make every effort to account for transportation (school bus and car rider), parent commuting patterns, balance busing travel time, and costs.
-Establish clear feeder patterns and continuity – Make every effort to establish a clear feeder pattern system (especially from middle school to high school), although it may be necessary to split an elementary school to feed to two or more middle schools. Make every effort to divide a large enough population so students can continue to the next level with familiar faces.
-Balance school facility utilization – Make every effort to have equitable utilization (where possible) across the district and in accordance with school capacities and funded allotment ratios in accordance with state law. Make efficient use of available space.
-Account for future growth – Allow for increasing attendance in high growth areas.
-Allow for grandfathering – Allow for a “no questions asked” grandfathering option for parents who do not feel it is in the best interest of their children to endure another move.
-Minimize impact on students – Attempt to minimize the amount of students impacted when making boundary adjustments.
-Make every effort to establish contiguous zones – Avoid creating zones that are not connected to the primary attendance zone, where possible.
-Use major roads and natural boundaries wherever feasible to define attendance zones – Minimize the amount of students who need to cross major roads and other barriers to maximize the safety and security of students, and optimize transportation efficiency by containing bus routes within natural boundaries wherever possible to avoid traffic delays and late arrivals.
This is rapidly turning into the last redistricting - push it through with little to no regard for consequences.
It is absolute hubris to think that they can redistrict to last for 10 years. Stupid. Especially when they are putting their own personal spin on what neighborhoods go and stay.
I have never in my whole life heard such complete utter bs. What’s the reason they can’t decide on middle school grandfathering? Maybe because all of WC couldn’t fit into Weddington Middle if they allow grandfathering?
Merrell stated there would be no redistricting for ten years and UCPS wouldn’t have to ask for another bond. So all the elementaries in Monroe and Forest Hills are going to sit over capacity with trailers for the next 10 years?
Like I said before this redistricting is all about segregating our schools racially and exonomically so they can forget the eastern side even exists.
And the maps produced won’t last three years much less the ten. McKibben himself said the only map that would work long term for Marvin, Weddington and Cuthbertson would be Map G and that was already discarded.
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