Interested in Lakewood...but what about middle school? (Dallas, Rogers: office, campus)

[Considering Coming Back]

Originally Posted by DFWgal

Why not? Do you think the quality of teaching there is not up to par or, as other posters have suggested before, "too much diversity"?

Would it even be the same teachers? In my head I imagine the Montessori system requires some kind of credentialing.

I think there will be some interest in Mata from Lakewood/Stonewall. Some parents are unhappy with overcrowding, some already live south of Gaston, some are into the sit on the floor and play with an abacus pedagogy. But will it be enough to fill half of the school? Doubtful. And I don't think it has to do with diversity. If the 50/50 neighborhood split was fully utilized, Mata would be about 40% white and affluent, making it the 3rd whitest/affluent K-5 campus in the system and the whitest/affluent 6-8 campus.

Which brings up another thought, the parents who are 'afraid' of Long may choose Mata to hedge their bets about middle school.

Long term, after this doesn't work and rezoning is broached, I see three pressure points: the streets south of Monticello are much closer to Lee than Stonewall, the streets north of the DART tracks are much closer to Dan D Rogers and Hotchkiss than Lakewood, and the streets south of I-30 are much closer to Roberts than Mt Auburn.

[LakeDad]

Dan D Rogers is at 506 this year, and Hotchkiss is at 997. Lee is at 365. What is the capacity of those schools? I thought I read Lee had a capacity of 500. Is capacity data available on the DISD website?

I can't see Mata going 40% white without rezoning it so. If they could get Mata to 35-40% white for K-5, and it makes Mata 6-8 more white than Long, I think it could work and be great for everyone involved. Just don't see how you get the ball rolling with voluntary change.

As to rezoning pressure points, I agree that it would make sense to rezone south of Monticello, east of 75, west of Abrams, north of Llano into Lee. If I remember correctly, a similar Stonewall/Lee rezoning plan made a decent run maybe 10 years ago before the neighborhood quashed it. Changing the Lakewood Elem. zone, if there was room at Hotchkiss or Dan Rogers, would be an ugly ugly fight.

At a certain point though, something will have be done if Mata doesn't work out. I think Stonewall is poised to add even more neighborhood students. Tear downs on single family lots in the attendance zone are back to pre recession levels. Lakewood is going gangbusters with new retail and higher home values. Prices is some areas of the Stonewall zone are over $200/sf. People want to live and go to school in that section of East Dallas.

I guess the private $15 million campaign to add space at Lakewood could work, but I have no idea what the chances of that getting funded are. Stonewall has space to easily add a new classroom wing, but where would the funding come from? I bet there are almost 15 portables at Stonewall right now.

[Lakewooder]

Also O. M. Roberts Elementary is being switched from the Long/Woodrow feeder pattern to Dade/Madison. Roberts is in a new school building with a larger capacity (800 I believe). Dade is also in a new building with larger capacity.

There is talk of making Roberts K-8 as it is under capacity. I would not doubt that a few streets might be switched from Mount Auburn to Roberts.

[Considering Coming Back]

Originally Posted by LakeDad

Dan D Rogers is at 506 this year, and Hotchkiss is at 997. Lee is at 365. What is the capacity of those schools? I thought I read Lee had a capacity of 500. Is capacity data available on the DISD website?

Here are the building utilization maps: http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX0...izationMap.pdf

As a percentage, Mata is the least utilized school in Dallas.

[Lakewood Parent]

I predict almost zero Lakewood and Stonewall parents put their kids into Mata. Those parents bought their houses at least partially so their kids could go to those elementary schools. They expect to get what they "paid" for.

No way those parents put their kids in a "new" and unproven DISD school with no history of achievement or parental support.

[Gator-in-Steiner]

DISD does Montessori really well and many parents who didn't get in to Dealey will consider it. If the option is to go to Mata Montessori or be rezoned to Dan D Rogers or Mt. Auburn, I am thinking Mata Montessori (and convincing my preschool friends to apply also) would be a much better option. A lot of people like Montessori that exceed the income criteria to get preference to get into East Dallas Community School. Everyone who staunchly opposes rezoning for Lakewood better be contributing to the LEEF capital campaign!

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

They could also consider something like reopening Bonham and/or Fannin

Part of Bonham is being used for this:

Multi-Language Enrichment Programs / Student Intake Center


Fannin is solidly in the North Dallas HS feeder system, so I'm not sure that would work. Actually the NDHS feeder system covers much of what people consider Old East Dallas, except Swiss Avenue, Munger Place and Junius Heights are in Lipscomb, part of the Woodrow attendance zone.

http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX0...Dallas2013.pdf - goes all the way down to I-30, E. R. L. Thornton.

[cristobalg]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Also O. M. Roberts Elementary is being switched from the Long/Woodrow feeder pattern to Dade/Madison.

When does (or did) that take effect?

[Lakewooder]

It started this year, but there was an option to choose - so of course most chose Long and Woodrow instead of Dade and Madison (who can blame them?). That option is being removed for next year.

[cristobalg]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

It started this year, but there was an option to choose - so of course most chose Long and Woodrow instead of Dade and Madison (who can blame them?). That option is being removed for next year.

Interesting. I wonder if that will make Long/Woodrow whiter and more balanced racially