Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sort of Schools East Of Mopac/West Of 35
Many of you who attended today's meeting wanted to see this spreadsheet. These numbers are from AISD the numbers to the far right are the permanent capacity numbers for each school along with the capacity percentage for 2010-2011.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Meeting, DECEMBER 31 at 1pm
We will hold a meeting December 31 at 1pm at Mills Elementary in the cafeteria for Mills parents only. Mrs. Butler and the Mills boundary reps will answer questions and give some details for speaking at the community meeting that will be held on January 5 at 6:00 at Clayton Elementary. We do not have a paper copy of the newest map, called Plan 2, but it can be found here.
Here are the capacity numbers from the Plan 2 map.
Here are the capacity numbers from the Plan 2 map.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
FUBTF Meeting, December 15
The meeting tonight was a complete nightmare. The process changed, the numbers changed and the boundaries changed - dramatically. Neither Lisa and I voted for the map that will go out to the community on January 5. We would have made other changes, but were outvoted by the task force. There will be no meeting Thursday. The next meeting will be held January 5 at Clayton.
First, the numbers
Why are the population projections changing so much? (Mills is up 8% overall.) The demographer says, "my philosophy has changed, I'm willing to accept reality." Dr. Harner has in the past underprojected the 5 year numbers for Mills and he says he's adjusted his models to incorporate the fact that families are choosing to move into the Mills area because of the housing type and the good schools. I've got more details, but that's the gist.
Key Vote Early On
After the first break, a core member brought up that the schools on the east side of Mopac have a unique issue with underenrollment that is pervasive in that entire area. The task force member moved to "leave Sunset Valley, Boone and Cowan at their existing boundaries" and ask the board to call a special boundary task force of schools in that area to address the issues of underenrollment. The measure was defeated 12 to 11. Lisa and I voted for it. That set the stage for what happened late in the meeting.
Second, the process
In past boundary meetings, we have gone by school in a particular order. Tonight, they changed the order, and Mills was asked to go 2nd, which put us in a situation we weren't completely prepared for. We were waiting for the Clayton and Oak Hill to decide what they were going to do first (which is the way things usually work.)
We proposed three options: Sending Loma Vista (and Estates) to the SWES, which was voted down by the task force. Sending Loma Vista (and Estates) to Clayton, which was voted down by the task force. Sending Circle C North to Kiker, which was approved by the task force. That puts Kiker at 105% or 853 students (based on the 5 year projections, which Kiker felt was a little high, but they were willing to accept to help us out).
Once that was approved, AISD staff told us that Mills would be at 108% and we moved on to discussing another piece. Then, staff came back and said, no, that Mills was actually at 112%. But we were not allowed at that time to address that issue. We were told we would "get back to it."
At the end of the evening, Boone was the last school to go and proposed to take sections 96H3 and 96A2 to Boone. We spoke calmly against the proposal, mentioning the tracking, the fact that it would take too many kids out of Mills, the fact that we had petitions against the move, and other issues. However, while Lisa and I voted against it, we were outvoted by the rest of the task force. Then, we were asked to vote on whether that map goes to the public. We also voted against taking the map to the community, but we were outvoted. In fact, the task force refused to even discuss the merits/challenges of the map, which I find particularly troubling.
So the map that will go to the community is not a map we support, nor voted for.
Third, the boundaries
At the end of this, we had 96F1, 96F2, 96E moving to Kiker, 96H3 &96A2 moving to Boone.(96H2A stays at Mills)
I don't have the final numbers - only the five year projections for 2014-2015, which we were asked to use during this meeting. The map that will go out to the community, January 5, is a Frankenstein. As soon as I have the map, I'll post it. For now, here are FIVE YEAR numbers compared to the permanent capacity of the school:
We never intended for Kiker to be larger than Mills. Never wanted Mills to be that small. The staff forced us to make changes in a vacuum without looking at the larger picture and then the core members outvoted us when we wanted to go back and adjust things.
You may think that Lisa and I can make reasonable arguments, and that the task force will listen, but I think this plan is a great example of how little say we really have.
I will remind you not to attack any one person on the blog. Please don't disparage any school. These comments are being looked at very closely and are being used as evidence that we have bias against certain schools, when clearly we just want to keep existing tracking patterns intact. Be nice, Lisa and I are working very hard and are very frustrated.
First, the numbers
Why are the population projections changing so much? (Mills is up 8% overall.) The demographer says, "my philosophy has changed, I'm willing to accept reality." Dr. Harner has in the past underprojected the 5 year numbers for Mills and he says he's adjusted his models to incorporate the fact that families are choosing to move into the Mills area because of the housing type and the good schools. I've got more details, but that's the gist.
Key Vote Early On
After the first break, a core member brought up that the schools on the east side of Mopac have a unique issue with underenrollment that is pervasive in that entire area. The task force member moved to "leave Sunset Valley, Boone and Cowan at their existing boundaries" and ask the board to call a special boundary task force of schools in that area to address the issues of underenrollment. The measure was defeated 12 to 11. Lisa and I voted for it. That set the stage for what happened late in the meeting.
Second, the process
In past boundary meetings, we have gone by school in a particular order. Tonight, they changed the order, and Mills was asked to go 2nd, which put us in a situation we weren't completely prepared for. We were waiting for the Clayton and Oak Hill to decide what they were going to do first (which is the way things usually work.)
We proposed three options: Sending Loma Vista (and Estates) to the SWES, which was voted down by the task force. Sending Loma Vista (and Estates) to Clayton, which was voted down by the task force. Sending Circle C North to Kiker, which was approved by the task force. That puts Kiker at 105% or 853 students (based on the 5 year projections, which Kiker felt was a little high, but they were willing to accept to help us out).
Once that was approved, AISD staff told us that Mills would be at 108% and we moved on to discussing another piece. Then, staff came back and said, no, that Mills was actually at 112%. But we were not allowed at that time to address that issue. We were told we would "get back to it."
At the end of the evening, Boone was the last school to go and proposed to take sections 96H3 and 96A2 to Boone. We spoke calmly against the proposal, mentioning the tracking, the fact that it would take too many kids out of Mills, the fact that we had petitions against the move, and other issues. However, while Lisa and I voted against it, we were outvoted by the rest of the task force. Then, we were asked to vote on whether that map goes to the public. We also voted against taking the map to the community, but we were outvoted. In fact, the task force refused to even discuss the merits/challenges of the map, which I find particularly troubling.
So the map that will go to the community is not a map we support, nor voted for.
Third, the boundaries
At the end of this, we had 96F1, 96F2, 96E moving to Kiker, 96H3 &96A2 moving to Boone.(96H2A stays at Mills)
I don't have the final numbers - only the five year projections for 2014-2015, which we were asked to use during this meeting. The map that will go out to the community, January 5, is a Frankenstein. As soon as I have the map, I'll post it. For now, here are FIVE YEAR numbers compared to the permanent capacity of the school:
We never intended for Kiker to be larger than Mills. Never wanted Mills to be that small. The staff forced us to make changes in a vacuum without looking at the larger picture and then the core members outvoted us when we wanted to go back and adjust things.
You may think that Lisa and I can make reasonable arguments, and that the task force will listen, but I think this plan is a great example of how little say we really have.
I will remind you not to attack any one person on the blog. Please don't disparage any school. These comments are being looked at very closely and are being used as evidence that we have bias against certain schools, when clearly we just want to keep existing tracking patterns intact. Be nice, Lisa and I are working very hard and are very frustrated.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Changes in Demographic Numbers
Believe me, I don't want to tell you this anymore than you want to hear it.
The demographer's numbers for Mills have changed. We are bigger than projected, as many of us suspected. This means that another neighborhood will be moved from Mills. (Believe me, Lisa and I would have much rather gone with Plan 1 and called it a day. But that door is about to close.)
**ANY neighborhood we move from Mills is within walking or biking distance - and will be asked to get on a bus to go to a neighboring school** There is nothing we can do about this.
Here are the numbers for Plan 1, the first chart shows the numbers we've been working with. And the second chart shows the revised numbers.
Please understand that Lisa and I will be working with the other representatives on the task force to come up with a solution. We heard your priorities during the last CAC meeting as to which schools are preferable. We will do our best to find a solution you will support.
Why the change in the numbers? I recieved an email from Joe Silva explaining some of the rational behind the changes. It occured when the demographer, Dr. Harner, began to divide up sections of the Mills attendance area. Here's the explanation from Joe:
Dr. Harner was making adjustments to the overall population due to an increase in Kindergarten students. His earlier projections were based on a decrease in K students from 183 in 2007 to 165 in 2008. His projection was that there would be approximately the same number of students in 2009. However, the number of K students actually increased to 184. So he has adjusted his projection for future students.
The FUBTF was told that we would be receiving updated population projections in November. Because each year Dr. Harner uses current membership data (kids actually at the school) and readjusts the population projections. Updated numbers were expected, but the amount of change was surprising.
The demographer's numbers for Mills have changed. We are bigger than projected, as many of us suspected. This means that another neighborhood will be moved from Mills. (Believe me, Lisa and I would have much rather gone with Plan 1 and called it a day. But that door is about to close.)
**ANY neighborhood we move from Mills is within walking or biking distance - and will be asked to get on a bus to go to a neighboring school** There is nothing we can do about this.
Here are the numbers for Plan 1, the first chart shows the numbers we've been working with. And the second chart shows the revised numbers.
Please understand that Lisa and I will be working with the other representatives on the task force to come up with a solution. We heard your priorities during the last CAC meeting as to which schools are preferable. We will do our best to find a solution you will support.
Why the change in the numbers? I recieved an email from Joe Silva explaining some of the rational behind the changes. It occured when the demographer, Dr. Harner, began to divide up sections of the Mills attendance area. Here's the explanation from Joe:
Dr. Harner was making adjustments to the overall population due to an increase in Kindergarten students. His earlier projections were based on a decrease in K students from 183 in 2007 to 165 in 2008. His projection was that there would be approximately the same number of students in 2009. However, the number of K students actually increased to 184. So he has adjusted his projection for future students.
The FUBTF was told that we would be receiving updated population projections in November. Because each year Dr. Harner uses current membership data (kids actually at the school) and readjusts the population projections. Updated numbers were expected, but the amount of change was surprising.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
CAC Survey Results
December 10, 2009
So far, we've collected 70 surveys from last week's CAC meeting. The surveys broke down into 2 parts:
1) On a scale of 1-10, how well does Plan 1 meet the criteria set by the Mills' parents feedback from September?
Of the 70 surveys, 62 responses gave Plan 1 a rating of 8, 9 or 10.
88.5% felt positive about the plan.
2 people rated the plan a 7
5 people gave Plan 1 a rating between 3-5. As a whole, these negative responses asked for additional relief for Mills.
2)"If demographic numbers change and Mills must find additional relief, please indicate which neighboring school you would prefer to attend."
52 people chose Kiker Elementary
6 chose Patton
2 chose Clayton
1 chose Oak Hill
1 chose the New elementary school
Lisa and I have been notified by the district that all FUBTF members will be receiving updated demographic numbers and maps on Friday (tomorrow.) Stay tuned.
So far, we've collected 70 surveys from last week's CAC meeting. The surveys broke down into 2 parts:
1) On a scale of 1-10, how well does Plan 1 meet the criteria set by the Mills' parents feedback from September?
Of the 70 surveys, 62 responses gave Plan 1 a rating of 8, 9 or 10.
88.5% felt positive about the plan.
2 people rated the plan a 7
5 people gave Plan 1 a rating between 3-5. As a whole, these negative responses asked for additional relief for Mills.
2)"If demographic numbers change and Mills must find additional relief, please indicate which neighboring school you would prefer to attend."
52 people chose Kiker Elementary
6 chose Patton
2 chose Clayton
1 chose Oak Hill
1 chose the New elementary school
Lisa and I have been notified by the district that all FUBTF members will be receiving updated demographic numbers and maps on Friday (tomorrow.) Stay tuned.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Recap CAC December 2 Meeting
Thanks for everyone who came last night to the CAC Meeting and the District Presentation of Plan 1. (See a map of Plan 1 on the FUBTF Website.)
We heard last night that a majority of parents support Plan 1. That's great - we're glad we've met your priority list. However, it's important that you know, the process is not complete.
As you heard from Mrs. Butler and the District Staff, new demographic projections regarding how many students are expected to attend Mills over the next five years are expected to be presented to the FUBTF this month. IF the demographic numbers are higher than we are seeing under Plan 1, Mills may be forced to move additional students. We won't know what the numbers will look like until they are presented to us. (When they are released, I will post them here.)
That's why we asked parents and CAC members to fill out a Survey Options form - which gathered feedback on Plan 1: How well does Plan 1 fit the priority list developed from the Parent Survey September 15? The survey also asked parents who live in various geographic areas to pick a school they would prefer to move their children to - if we are forced to make a move by new developing demographic numbers. These surveys will be available in the front office this week. Please, one per person.
As I said last night - Lisa and I have been studying overcrowding at Mills for more than a year, we have been open and honest about the process and have solicited input from Mills administration and parents at EVERY step. We are VERY familiar with the negatives of moving ANY neighborhood from Mills, because we are such a small geographic area. We appreciate your concerns. But we would also like you to appreciate ours. If we are forced to move another neighborhood from Mills, we would prefer to know where you would like to go, instead of the constant drumbeat of "we don't want to go." We understand. No one wants to go, but we may be FORCED to make that decision, depending on the numbers.
The FUBTF meets again December 15, with a meeting possibly on the 17th as well. Happy Holidays!
I have reenabled comments on the blog, but I do so with some caution. Here are the groundrules: No comments should be directed at anyone personally - no mention of any one person or one person's actions. Please keep the discussion civil and fact-based. And, as my momma always said, if you don't have something nice to say, well, it might be best to keep it to yourself. Or at least don't post it here for the world to see. People beyond Mills are reading the blog, including our administration and the district staff.
I'll post survey results here as they come in.
Now, go get ready for snow!
We heard last night that a majority of parents support Plan 1. That's great - we're glad we've met your priority list. However, it's important that you know, the process is not complete.
As you heard from Mrs. Butler and the District Staff, new demographic projections regarding how many students are expected to attend Mills over the next five years are expected to be presented to the FUBTF this month. IF the demographic numbers are higher than we are seeing under Plan 1, Mills may be forced to move additional students. We won't know what the numbers will look like until they are presented to us. (When they are released, I will post them here.)
That's why we asked parents and CAC members to fill out a Survey Options form - which gathered feedback on Plan 1: How well does Plan 1 fit the priority list developed from the Parent Survey September 15? The survey also asked parents who live in various geographic areas to pick a school they would prefer to move their children to - if we are forced to make a move by new developing demographic numbers. These surveys will be available in the front office this week. Please, one per person.
As I said last night - Lisa and I have been studying overcrowding at Mills for more than a year, we have been open and honest about the process and have solicited input from Mills administration and parents at EVERY step. We are VERY familiar with the negatives of moving ANY neighborhood from Mills, because we are such a small geographic area. We appreciate your concerns. But we would also like you to appreciate ours. If we are forced to move another neighborhood from Mills, we would prefer to know where you would like to go, instead of the constant drumbeat of "we don't want to go." We understand. No one wants to go, but we may be FORCED to make that decision, depending on the numbers.
The FUBTF meets again December 15, with a meeting possibly on the 17th as well. Happy Holidays!
I have reenabled comments on the blog, but I do so with some caution. Here are the groundrules: No comments should be directed at anyone personally - no mention of any one person or one person's actions. Please keep the discussion civil and fact-based. And, as my momma always said, if you don't have something nice to say, well, it might be best to keep it to yourself. Or at least don't post it here for the world to see. People beyond Mills are reading the blog, including our administration and the district staff.
I'll post survey results here as they come in.
Now, go get ready for snow!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
CAC December 2 Meeting
Hi everyone,
I just got off the phone with Beth Wilson, with AISD's Planning Staff. She advised us to solicit feedback on Plan 1 only, because all the other schools had solicited feedback on that one plan. (Plan 1 is the plan voted by the Boundary Task Force on November 18.) The District would like all the schools to be consistent in the feedback they receive.
No alternative plans or options will be presented or talked about at the meeting Wednesday. Comment cards will be limited to feedback on Plan 1 at this time, with parents and CAC members being asked how well the plan fits within the priorities voted on by the Mills parents in September. District officials will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about Plan 1.
Want to take a look at Plan 1? Go to the Task Force Website and look under the November 18th agenda.
The CAC meeting is Wednesday, December 2 at 5:30 in the Mills cafeteria.
We'll see you there!
I just got off the phone with Beth Wilson, with AISD's Planning Staff. She advised us to solicit feedback on Plan 1 only, because all the other schools had solicited feedback on that one plan. (Plan 1 is the plan voted by the Boundary Task Force on November 18.) The District would like all the schools to be consistent in the feedback they receive.
No alternative plans or options will be presented or talked about at the meeting Wednesday. Comment cards will be limited to feedback on Plan 1 at this time, with parents and CAC members being asked how well the plan fits within the priorities voted on by the Mills parents in September. District officials will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about Plan 1.
Want to take a look at Plan 1? Go to the Task Force Website and look under the November 18th agenda.
The CAC meeting is Wednesday, December 2 at 5:30 in the Mills cafeteria.
We'll see you there!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Plan 1
Here are the numbers comparing the population projections for 2010-2011 and 2013-2014, when comparing existing boundaries to boundaries under Plan 1 (the plan approved by the FUBTF last week.) You can download the entire map at the Task Force Website.
AISD staff members will present the map to Mills parents on December 2 at 5:30pm. We'll have comment cards to collect your feedback on the plan at that time.
AISD staff members will present the map to Mills parents on December 2 at 5:30pm. We'll have comment cards to collect your feedback on the plan at that time.
Friday, November 20, 2009
November 18 Meeting
I was waiting until the AISD posted the revised map, but since they haven't yet, I'll go ahead and tell you what happened at the meeting on Wednesday.
The task force voted for a map that will be taken around to all the Campus Advisory Councils of the schools involved in the boundary changes. That started with Boone Elementary last night. A complete list of meetings is on the Task Force Website. (click on the Nov. 18 agenda)
The district will be presenting the map to Mills' CAC on December 2 at 5:30. We plan to have comment cards to collect your thoughts on the plan.
In the "approved" plan, which is what I'll call the plan approved by the task force, Mills boundaries are the same as in Plan 0, which is posted on the blog. This plan basically moves Vintage Place and Park Place, removing about 100 kids from our total population.
There seems to be an opportunity for Mills to reduce further, and that was proposed by a couple of the task force members. After more movement, space has been freed up at Patton, and we could look at moving some students north, which would be within tracking (a priority of the task force.)
We will talk more about these options at the Dec. 2 meeting - I hope everyone will come and fill out a comment card. Because, even if you are not moving your child from Mills next year, you child will still be efffected by the total population at the school and by the type of reduction that we are able to achieve (ho much, whether we get some sort of grandfathering plan, etc.)
A quick note: I have disabled the comments section on the blog. I enjoyed reading the comments for a while, and it gave Lisa and I a chance to answer your questions, but it was taking up so much of my time to try and moderate the comments, that I had to disable them. I have a job and I need to keep it! Please understand that Lisa and I are doing this as volunteers. Thanks for your understanding.
The task force voted for a map that will be taken around to all the Campus Advisory Councils of the schools involved in the boundary changes. That started with Boone Elementary last night. A complete list of meetings is on the Task Force Website. (click on the Nov. 18 agenda)
The district will be presenting the map to Mills' CAC on December 2 at 5:30. We plan to have comment cards to collect your thoughts on the plan.
In the "approved" plan, which is what I'll call the plan approved by the task force, Mills boundaries are the same as in Plan 0, which is posted on the blog. This plan basically moves Vintage Place and Park Place, removing about 100 kids from our total population.
There seems to be an opportunity for Mills to reduce further, and that was proposed by a couple of the task force members. After more movement, space has been freed up at Patton, and we could look at moving some students north, which would be within tracking (a priority of the task force.)
We will talk more about these options at the Dec. 2 meeting - I hope everyone will come and fill out a comment card. Because, even if you are not moving your child from Mills next year, you child will still be efffected by the total population at the school and by the type of reduction that we are able to achieve (ho much, whether we get some sort of grandfathering plan, etc.)
A quick note: I have disabled the comments section on the blog. I enjoyed reading the comments for a while, and it gave Lisa and I a chance to answer your questions, but it was taking up so much of my time to try and moderate the comments, that I had to disable them. I have a job and I need to keep it! Please understand that Lisa and I are doing this as volunteers. Thanks for your understanding.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Message from Mrs. Butler
Michelle, Lisa and I discussed holding a CAC meeting, but I really don't think one is necessary.
After lengthy discussions and reviewing the demographic projections for Mills, as well as the other schools affected by the boundary changes, I have told Michelle and Lisa that I think Plan 0 is acceptable. While I think we would benefit from more significant relief than Plan 0 provides, I don’t think there is really an acceptable alternative. With Plan 0 we will initially lose 100 students (on paper, anyway), with our enrollment projected to stabilize and then very gradually decline over the next 3 to 5 years. I anticipate losing between 2 and 4 classrooms, depending on how many fifth graders are grandfathered and how many siblings are granted transfers.
There is no decision that will appear "right" to everyone, but this seems to be the one that provides some measure of relief, while preserving neighborhoods and community.
Pat Butler, Principal
Mills Elementary School
841-2406
A note from Lisa and Michelle: We have always said we would work for what the parents and school leadership of Mills wants. We have been studying overcrowding relief at Mills for more than a year, and have suggested many options (which most of you are exploring on the blog now). Believe us, we have looked at everything. Throughout this process, we believe that we have always worked for what was best for the school and the students, and not just our families.
What's next?
The FUBTF will vote on a plan at the next meeting, Wednesday, November 18, and at that time we will make sure task force members know that our school leadership is behind Plan 0. The plan that's approved by the FUBTF task force will be presented to the Mills Campus Advisory Council on December 2 at 5:30pm. We will collect comments on the plan approved by the FUBTF at that meeting.
After lengthy discussions and reviewing the demographic projections for Mills, as well as the other schools affected by the boundary changes, I have told Michelle and Lisa that I think Plan 0 is acceptable. While I think we would benefit from more significant relief than Plan 0 provides, I don’t think there is really an acceptable alternative. With Plan 0 we will initially lose 100 students (on paper, anyway), with our enrollment projected to stabilize and then very gradually decline over the next 3 to 5 years. I anticipate losing between 2 and 4 classrooms, depending on how many fifth graders are grandfathered and how many siblings are granted transfers.
There is no decision that will appear "right" to everyone, but this seems to be the one that provides some measure of relief, while preserving neighborhoods and community.
Pat Butler, Principal
Mills Elementary School
841-2406
A note from Lisa and Michelle: We have always said we would work for what the parents and school leadership of Mills wants. We have been studying overcrowding relief at Mills for more than a year, and have suggested many options (which most of you are exploring on the blog now). Believe us, we have looked at everything. Throughout this process, we believe that we have always worked for what was best for the school and the students, and not just our families.
What's next?
The FUBTF will vote on a plan at the next meeting, Wednesday, November 18, and at that time we will make sure task force members know that our school leadership is behind Plan 0. The plan that's approved by the FUBTF task force will be presented to the Mills Campus Advisory Council on December 2 at 5:30pm. We will collect comments on the plan approved by the FUBTF at that meeting.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Plan 0 Projections
I scanned this in this morning - it's from the latest Plan 0 map that you can download for yourself at http://www.austinisd.org/inside/2004bond/boundaries/docs/bond_SWES_Plan0_with_student_projections.pdf
These numbers are NEW, based on population projections for 2010-2011 (in relation to permanent capacity of the school) and DO NOT include Transfers. This is an UPDATED map since the last one I posted last week.
Here are the current transfers for schools from AISD: (+ is incoming, - is outgoing)
Mills: +73
Kiker: +62
Clayton: -9
Oak Hill: -63
Sunset Valley -74
Cowan +32
Boone: +40
Patton: +43
Personally, I'm trying to keep an eye on these numbers, but the task force hasn't even talked about them yet.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
FUBTF Meeting, November 10
Wow, are we having fun yet?
I aparently ruffled some feathers tonight - I guess I got worked up about plans that accomplished little of the board's goals, and only benefited the school that was proposing them.
That being said - I heard from many parents tonight who are concerned about my push for additional relief for Mills beyond the 100 students who will be moved as a part of Plan "0".
Here's the thought process behind why we pushed for more relief:
1) Mrs. Butler said she needed additional relief to make the school function at its best. Currently, we are "functioning" at 131% of functional capacity and 124% of permanent capacity.
2) If we only move 100 students from Mills, the school's membership drops to around approximately 1000, but our school was built for 836. (That 1000 includes transfers - which is between 117-119%).
3) Impact on Special Areas: Mills would probably lose additional special area staff. Right now, we have 3 part-time teachers who come and teach special area classes, because we are so large. This prevents us from combining classes for art, music and p.e. If we drop our numbers just a little, we lose the staff and students will have to combine classes for special areas - and we will likely have 45 to a class again. Remember last year?
4) Moving only 100 students does little to offset transfers, which are likely to grow next year, as incoming 5th graders are grandfathered, along with their siblings. Transfers currently stand at 71. Once granted, a transfer is good for the life of a student's elementary career. So that number is not dropping.
5) Anyone see a tornado drill lately? The kids are stacked 3 deep on both sides of the halls - that's not likely to change much either.
6) With 100 students as relief, Mills is not likely to see the number of classrooms drop right away. Remember, Mills has no more room for portables.
Lisa and I weighed all these factors when asking for additional relief. However, we don't feel that asking for more relief opens us up to move across tracking lines. (and we know some of you disagree.)
So, we'd like you to weigh in:
- Should we only support Plan "0", which moves 100 students from Mills?
- Should we push for additional relief that is consistent with our existing tracking patterns to middle school?
The next boundary meeting is Wednesday, November 18.
I aparently ruffled some feathers tonight - I guess I got worked up about plans that accomplished little of the board's goals, and only benefited the school that was proposing them.
That being said - I heard from many parents tonight who are concerned about my push for additional relief for Mills beyond the 100 students who will be moved as a part of Plan "0".
Here's the thought process behind why we pushed for more relief:
1) Mrs. Butler said she needed additional relief to make the school function at its best. Currently, we are "functioning" at 131% of functional capacity and 124% of permanent capacity.
2) If we only move 100 students from Mills, the school's membership drops to around approximately 1000, but our school was built for 836. (That 1000 includes transfers - which is between 117-119%).
3) Impact on Special Areas: Mills would probably lose additional special area staff. Right now, we have 3 part-time teachers who come and teach special area classes, because we are so large. This prevents us from combining classes for art, music and p.e. If we drop our numbers just a little, we lose the staff and students will have to combine classes for special areas - and we will likely have 45 to a class again. Remember last year?
4) Moving only 100 students does little to offset transfers, which are likely to grow next year, as incoming 5th graders are grandfathered, along with their siblings. Transfers currently stand at 71. Once granted, a transfer is good for the life of a student's elementary career. So that number is not dropping.
5) Anyone see a tornado drill lately? The kids are stacked 3 deep on both sides of the halls - that's not likely to change much either.
6) With 100 students as relief, Mills is not likely to see the number of classrooms drop right away. Remember, Mills has no more room for portables.
Lisa and I weighed all these factors when asking for additional relief. However, we don't feel that asking for more relief opens us up to move across tracking lines. (and we know some of you disagree.)
So, we'd like you to weigh in:
- Should we only support Plan "0", which moves 100 students from Mills?
- Should we push for additional relief that is consistent with our existing tracking patterns to middle school?
The next boundary meeting is Wednesday, November 18.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
SWES Plan "0" Map
This is the first map presented by the AISD planning staff. Download the full PDF file at the FUBTF website.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Mills Name Badges for Tonights Meeting
For those going to the AISD Boundary Task Force Meeting tonight, Becca Thompson will have name badges that say Mills. She will be in the lobby handing them out so please stop by and get one. We want the task force to know that we are there. The meeting is at 5:45 at 1111 West 6th Street in Building B.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Approved FUBTF Priorities/Charge
Monday night the Board of Trustees approved the Task Force priorities and charge. Here's the final document from AISD staff.
Oppose Disrupting Feeder Patterns for Mills Students
Tracking, also called "Feeder Patterns": After reading some of the comments, I wanted to clarify what tracking or feeder patters are. Tracking refers to the movement of a group of students from elementary, to middle to high school. Maintaining tracking does not mean that students would not be moved from Mills. It refers to moving students to schools that share the same middle and high schools as Mills does. For example, Kiker and Clayton also "track" to Gorzycki Middle School and Bowie HS, as does 1/2 of Mills. Patton also tracks to Small Middle and Bowie HS, as does the other 1/2 of Mills.
Many of you have been asking what you can do to assist in the boundary process. Lisa and I have crafted a petition that you can choose to sign, if you agree with it.
You can find the petition and sign it online: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/millstracking
Please sign by Monday, November 2. We'd like to have these in hand by the next boundary meeting.
Here's the text of the petition:
AISD is opening a new SW Elementary school and adjusting surrounding schools that are overcrowded, including Mills, Clayton and Oak Hill elementaries. Members of the Boundary Task Force are charged with the priority of: “achieving capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities.”
The schools that are under capacity include Boone and Sunset Valley elementaries. These elementary schools have feeder patterns that are inconsistent with the feeder patterns at Mills.
For example, Mills elementary currently sends students to Small Middle School and Gorzycki Middle School, then all students feed into Bowie High School. Currently, Boone and Sunset Valley track students to Covington Middle School and Crockett High School. Changes in the current elementary school boundaries that involve Boone or Sunset Valley would disrupt these current feeder patterns and potentially separate a group of students from the elementary school peers when entering middle and high school.
Do you oppose moving students into schools that disrupt current feeder patterns?
We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our Boundary Task Force to oppose disrupting feeder patterns for children who live in the Mills Elementary attendance zone.
Many of you have been asking what you can do to assist in the boundary process. Lisa and I have crafted a petition that you can choose to sign, if you agree with it.
You can find the petition and sign it online: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/millstracking
Please sign by Monday, November 2. We'd like to have these in hand by the next boundary meeting.
Here's the text of the petition:
AISD is opening a new SW Elementary school and adjusting surrounding schools that are overcrowded, including Mills, Clayton and Oak Hill elementaries. Members of the Boundary Task Force are charged with the priority of: “achieving capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities.”
The schools that are under capacity include Boone and Sunset Valley elementaries. These elementary schools have feeder patterns that are inconsistent with the feeder patterns at Mills.
For example, Mills elementary currently sends students to Small Middle School and Gorzycki Middle School, then all students feed into Bowie High School. Currently, Boone and Sunset Valley track students to Covington Middle School and Crockett High School. Changes in the current elementary school boundaries that involve Boone or Sunset Valley would disrupt these current feeder patterns and potentially separate a group of students from the elementary school peers when entering middle and high school.
Do you oppose moving students into schools that disrupt current feeder patterns?
We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our Boundary Task Force to oppose disrupting feeder patterns for children who live in the Mills Elementary attendance zone.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Questions and concerns?
I have been getting a lot of questions, and concerns brought to me lately. Do you have questions for the Mills Task Force Reps, or for the district? Please post them here so we can get answers at the next Task Force meeting.
Oak Hill Town Hall
This presentation was given at the Oak Hill Elementary Boundary Meeting this week. Oak Hill, Mills and Clayton are the current overcrowded schools. The plans to relieve Clayton and Oak Hill will directly impact how Mills is relieved.
Townhallmeeting For Blog
View more presentations from Geeta Suggs.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The next three meetings are critical
Only three meetings remain to re-draw boundary lines for southwest elementary schools. The bigger the presence we have at the meetings, the stronger our priorities come across to the board.
The next three meetings will be held at AISD downtown headquarters at 1111 West 6th Street in Building B. Staff members will present a “straw” map for representatives to work from, starting with the new elementary school, and moving to the other schools represented on the task force.
Tuesday, Nov. 3 5:45pm*
Tuesday, Nov. 10 5:45pm
Wednesday, Nov. 18 5:45pm
While the work sessions are public, but there is no opportunity for public comment. However, attendance is collected from those members of the public who attend.
You will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on any new boundaries at a community meeting held at Mills, tentatively scheduled for early December. More details coming soon.
* Dinner for the boundary reps starts at 5:30pm, the meeting starts at 15 minutes later.
The next three meetings will be held at AISD downtown headquarters at 1111 West 6th Street in Building B. Staff members will present a “straw” map for representatives to work from, starting with the new elementary school, and moving to the other schools represented on the task force.
Tuesday, Nov. 3 5:45pm*
Tuesday, Nov. 10 5:45pm
Wednesday, Nov. 18 5:45pm
While the work sessions are public, but there is no opportunity for public comment. However, attendance is collected from those members of the public who attend.
You will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on any new boundaries at a community meeting held at Mills, tentatively scheduled for early December. More details coming soon.
* Dinner for the boundary reps starts at 5:30pm, the meeting starts at 15 minutes later.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Task Force Meeting, October 20
Here's a recap of the meeting:
No preliminary maps were presented, we did more discussion about school priorities, process and covered requests for information. The information pack will be posted on the task force website.
I've expressed concern about the pace of the meetings, given we only have 3 left, before maps are presented to the CACs. That gives us approximately 9-10 hours of worktime left to solve this very complicated problem.
We voted to trust the demographer's data – although it's not entirely perfect, it's close and what we have to work with. (Read this post on population projections.)
We are allowed to ask to break down certain geographic segments. Lisa and I will be asking for those, but the staff wants us as a group to submit those all at one time, because those have to go to the demographer for processing, but those requests were not taken last night.
The other issue that we considered was how to tackle the boundaries. The group voted 10 to 8 to attack the boundary for the new school first, treat it as a draft, THEN begin the process of balancing all of the elementary schools. The new school boundary may be tweaked based on our work in the second phase. The staff said they would give us a "straw" map at the next meeting (November 3) to start on the new elementary school boundaries.
Lisa and I voted against this process, prefering to tackle all schools at once, because we feel that it would treat all schools equally. I suggested we tackle the schools based on tracking patterns, but that went nowhere. The facilitator said we were going to rank the task force priorities, but we never got back to that.
The facilitator asked us to share some of the pressures we are facing - in light of our school's priorities. We shared the results of our parent survey. Here's what the facilitator wrote.
Mills Issues/Pressures
• By a ratio of 7:1, the community has said they do not want to leave Mills
• The middle school boundary line change (affecting the north part of the area) has been particularly difficult
• They are basing their concerns on:
Quality of education
Location
Grandfathering - They are hoping there might be some sort of “Grandfathering” put in place (that was a request submitted tonight) These were the top three issues in our parent survey. See the presentation about the survey results here.
Other schools shared:
Cowan Issues/Pressures
• Their boundaries have changed 2 times in the last 5 years
• They feel they have been through too many changes and too much chaos
• Their numbers are on target currently and on target with the projections provided
Sunset Valley, Patton and Boone all want more students.
If you're keeping track, Kiker, Clayton, and Oak Hill did not share. Oak Hill is currently surveying their parents and plans a meeting October 27 to define their priorities. Visit the Oak Hill boundary blog.
No preliminary maps were presented, we did more discussion about school priorities, process and covered requests for information. The information pack will be posted on the task force website.
I've expressed concern about the pace of the meetings, given we only have 3 left, before maps are presented to the CACs. That gives us approximately 9-10 hours of worktime left to solve this very complicated problem.
We voted to trust the demographer's data – although it's not entirely perfect, it's close and what we have to work with. (Read this post on population projections.)
We are allowed to ask to break down certain geographic segments. Lisa and I will be asking for those, but the staff wants us as a group to submit those all at one time, because those have to go to the demographer for processing, but those requests were not taken last night.
The other issue that we considered was how to tackle the boundaries. The group voted 10 to 8 to attack the boundary for the new school first, treat it as a draft, THEN begin the process of balancing all of the elementary schools. The new school boundary may be tweaked based on our work in the second phase. The staff said they would give us a "straw" map at the next meeting (November 3) to start on the new elementary school boundaries.
Lisa and I voted against this process, prefering to tackle all schools at once, because we feel that it would treat all schools equally. I suggested we tackle the schools based on tracking patterns, but that went nowhere. The facilitator said we were going to rank the task force priorities, but we never got back to that.
The facilitator asked us to share some of the pressures we are facing - in light of our school's priorities. We shared the results of our parent survey. Here's what the facilitator wrote.
Mills Issues/Pressures
• By a ratio of 7:1, the community has said they do not want to leave Mills
• The middle school boundary line change (affecting the north part of the area) has been particularly difficult
• They are basing their concerns on:
Quality of education
Location
Grandfathering - They are hoping there might be some sort of “Grandfathering” put in place (that was a request submitted tonight) These were the top three issues in our parent survey. See the presentation about the survey results here.
Other schools shared:
Cowan Issues/Pressures
• Their boundaries have changed 2 times in the last 5 years
• They feel they have been through too many changes and too much chaos
• Their numbers are on target currently and on target with the projections provided
Sunset Valley, Patton and Boone all want more students.
If you're keeping track, Kiker, Clayton, and Oak Hill did not share. Oak Hill is currently surveying their parents and plans a meeting October 27 to define their priorities. Visit the Oak Hill boundary blog.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Location, Location, Location
We consider location when we buy a house. Or choose a neighborhood. It's important to us.
So important, that Mills parents ranked it #2 of the issues they wanted the boundary reps to consider when redrawing boundary lines. Location matters.
However, it looks like location will not be part of the boundary task force priorities.
Here's why:
Everyone at Mills lives within approximately 2 miles of the school. We can't use location alone to decide new boundary lines - everyone's close. There are children who can walk or bike to Mills today, who will be on a bus next year, going to another school. There's nothing we can do to change that. The school is too crowded.
Beyond Mills, other schools involved in the boundary process have similar problems with location. Neighborhoods that are closer to one school may be sent to another school, further away, to solve overcrowding. Or if you pick one group of kids to attend a local school, it's likely that you will push out another group who could also walk or bike to their school.
In this case, location can not be consistently applied, because of the placement of our schools and the density of our population. This becomes clear when you begin to look at the map, and use the known priorities given to the task force.
Current Task Force Priorities:
- Achieve capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities
- Affect the fewest students possible
- Attend to the alignment of feeder patterns, as reasonable, and balanced against the other criteria (tracking)
- Prevent multiple reassignment of students among schools, by developing stable, long-term assignment plans.
So important, that Mills parents ranked it #2 of the issues they wanted the boundary reps to consider when redrawing boundary lines. Location matters.
However, it looks like location will not be part of the boundary task force priorities.
Here's why:
Everyone at Mills lives within approximately 2 miles of the school. We can't use location alone to decide new boundary lines - everyone's close. There are children who can walk or bike to Mills today, who will be on a bus next year, going to another school. There's nothing we can do to change that. The school is too crowded.
Beyond Mills, other schools involved in the boundary process have similar problems with location. Neighborhoods that are closer to one school may be sent to another school, further away, to solve overcrowding. Or if you pick one group of kids to attend a local school, it's likely that you will push out another group who could also walk or bike to their school.
In this case, location can not be consistently applied, because of the placement of our schools and the density of our population. This becomes clear when you begin to look at the map, and use the known priorities given to the task force.
Current Task Force Priorities:
- Achieve capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities
- Affect the fewest students possible
- Attend to the alignment of feeder patterns, as reasonable, and balanced against the other criteria (tracking)
- Prevent multiple reassignment of students among schools, by developing stable, long-term assignment plans.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
An Epiphany about Population Projections
Lisa and I had a bit of an epiphany last night about the District's demographic data. The "Population Projections" that the demographer comes up with....drum roll, please....are actually correct. Really correct. Let me explain.
A lot of people (um, including me, for full disclosure) want to question the demographic data because it's so far off what actual membership ends up being each year.
Terms:
Population projection = the number of AISD students the demographer says lives in the school's attendance zone.
Membership = actual students who show up and attend that school.
So, let's look at the last two years.
The Population Projection for 2008-2009 was 988, but we had an actual membership of 1061. Why the big difference? Transfers: The number last year was 73. The numbers add up exactly.
This year, population projection (2009-2010) is 1019, but we have around 1080 students. The difference? You guessed it - transfers. We have 71 this year.
Now, we've talked a bit on this blog about transfers and Mrs. Butler has talked about it, too - it's the district policy to allow certain kinds of transfers (those are detailed in the presentation below.) And yes, they allow priority transfers even when a school is as overcrowded as Mills.
You may not like that policy - but don't get mad at Mrs. Butler, she's just doing her job. Write letters to the board, go to their meetings and speak, if you want to.
The point here is that the demographer data is pretty close - dead on for last year and this year.
So what does the demographer say is going to happen to the Mills population? Over the next five years, our population gradually reduces by 40 children by 2013-2014. Whatever boundary changes are made, we should definitely factor in - not only this slight reduction in population, but a realistic number of transfers similar to what we've seen in the past few years.
A lot of people (um, including me, for full disclosure) want to question the demographic data because it's so far off what actual membership ends up being each year.
Terms:
Population projection = the number of AISD students the demographer says lives in the school's attendance zone.
Membership = actual students who show up and attend that school.
So, let's look at the last two years.
The Population Projection for 2008-2009 was 988, but we had an actual membership of 1061. Why the big difference? Transfers: The number last year was 73. The numbers add up exactly.
This year, population projection (2009-2010) is 1019, but we have around 1080 students. The difference? You guessed it - transfers. We have 71 this year.
Now, we've talked a bit on this blog about transfers and Mrs. Butler has talked about it, too - it's the district policy to allow certain kinds of transfers (those are detailed in the presentation below.) And yes, they allow priority transfers even when a school is as overcrowded as Mills.
You may not like that policy - but don't get mad at Mrs. Butler, she's just doing her job. Write letters to the board, go to their meetings and speak, if you want to.
The point here is that the demographer data is pretty close - dead on for last year and this year.
So what does the demographer say is going to happen to the Mills population? Over the next five years, our population gradually reduces by 40 children by 2013-2014. Whatever boundary changes are made, we should definitely factor in - not only this slight reduction in population, but a realistic number of transfers similar to what we've seen in the past few years.
FUBTF Orientation
Some of this is the same as the Community presentation. I will draw your attention to slides 17 and 18.
Slide 17 - is showing our membership number compared to our permanent capacity. Membership is the number of students who actually attend Mills (including transfers.)
Slide 18 - shows the population projection of the number of students who are expected to attend Mills in 5 years - but the number DOES NOT include transfers.
So, you can not say that we will magically reduce from 129% to 118% in five years, because these are TWO different data sets.
The demographer projects Mills will basically stay flat, or slightly reduce (by about 40 students) over the next 5 years.
More on that in a moment...
Slide 17 - is showing our membership number compared to our permanent capacity. Membership is the number of students who actually attend Mills (including transfers.)
Slide 18 - shows the population projection of the number of students who are expected to attend Mills in 5 years - but the number DOES NOT include transfers.
So, you can not say that we will magically reduce from 129% to 118% in five years, because these are TWO different data sets.
The demographer projects Mills will basically stay flat, or slightly reduce (by about 40 students) over the next 5 years.
More on that in a moment...
Bond 2004 Swes Orientation 20091014
View more presentations from Mills Rep.
Existing Boundaries 2009
Current Boundaries for Elementary, Middle and High Schools in the SW.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Other sites to check out
The facilitator named to run the Boundary Task Force Meetings:
Patti Summerfield
Yahoo Group for the Boundary Process - I think this is being updated by Clayton and/or Kiker parents.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boundaryprocess/
Oak Hill Gazette - article on Community Meeting
First meeting of the Boundary Task Force is Tuesday, however, it is expected to be an orientation. I will tweet any significant news.
Patti Summerfield
Yahoo Group for the Boundary Process - I think this is being updated by Clayton and/or Kiker parents.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boundaryprocess/
Oak Hill Gazette - article on Community Meeting
First meeting of the Boundary Task Force is Tuesday, however, it is expected to be an orientation. I will tweet any significant news.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AISD SWES Boundary Presentation
Here's the presentation district officials gave at last night's community meeting. You can find out more information on the District's FUBTF Home Page.
If you haven't seen this column written by Mrs. Butler this week for the millspta.org site, please take a minute to read it. It sums up the difficult task ahead of us and why we would like parents to give us input on a solution that is the most acceptable.
Thoughts on Re-drawing Boundaries
The next few months promise to bring some lively and stimulating discussions as we look at how relief might be provided for the overcrowding at Mills. However these conversations will also be emotional and sometimes difficult. It is already difficult to think about losing any of our Mills families, but unfortunately, we are in a position where we can’t afford to “do nothing”. There is no future classroom capacity, because we have no more land for additional portables, without encroaching on the track and playground. So we have exhausted the current resources to accommodate any new population growth. And while growth has slowed somewhat, I don’t forsee our enrollment declining anytime soon.
There will be no easy solutions, but I hope that we can all come together as a community to work together to find options that we can all live with. I encourage you to be involved in the process as the Boundary Task Force begins its work. Our representatives are Lisa Chatham and Michelle Reinhardt, and they, as well as our Campus Advisory Council have already done a wonderful job of providing information about this issue. As parents, you will be kept informed every step of the way about the proposals being put forth and how you can provide input. Please check the website and the Mills Messenger regularly for the most current information.
Thoughts on Re-drawing Boundaries
The next few months promise to bring some lively and stimulating discussions as we look at how relief might be provided for the overcrowding at Mills. However these conversations will also be emotional and sometimes difficult. It is already difficult to think about losing any of our Mills families, but unfortunately, we are in a position where we can’t afford to “do nothing”. There is no future classroom capacity, because we have no more land for additional portables, without encroaching on the track and playground. So we have exhausted the current resources to accommodate any new population growth. And while growth has slowed somewhat, I don’t forsee our enrollment declining anytime soon.
There will be no easy solutions, but I hope that we can all come together as a community to work together to find options that we can all live with. I encourage you to be involved in the process as the Boundary Task Force begins its work. Our representatives are Lisa Chatham and Michelle Reinhardt, and they, as well as our Campus Advisory Council have already done a wonderful job of providing information about this issue. As parents, you will be kept informed every step of the way about the proposals being put forth and how you can provide input. Please check the website and the Mills Messenger regularly for the most current information.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Boundary Community Meeting Tuesday, October 6th at Clayton
Mills Parents:
Tomorrow night, October 6th, there will be the 1st meeting in the boundary process. Please wear your Mills t-shirts. The Mills Boundary Reps and Committee will meet in front of Clayton at 5:45, and then go into the meeting where we can all sit together.
"AISD to Hold Community Meeting To Discuss Boundary Process for New Southwest Elementary School
September 22, 2009 - The Austin School District will hold a community meeting to discuss the process for determining attendance boundaries for the new Southwest elementary school on Tuesday, October 6. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., at Clayton Elementary School, 7525 La Crosse Avenue.
A project of the 2004 Apple At Work Bond Program, the campus will open in August 2010, possibly affecting the boundaries of Boone, Clayton, Kiker, Mills, Oak Hill, Patton, and Sunset Valley elementary schools.
School construction has begun at 12200 Meridian Park Blvd. in the Meridian Park housing development.
For more information about the school — and the overall bond program — parents may visit the AISD website, www.austinisd.org, or call the AISD Boundary Process Hotline, 414-2667."
School construction has begun at 12200 Meridian Park Blvd. in the Meridian Park housing development.
For more information about the school — and the overall bond program — parents may visit the AISD website, www.austinisd.org, or call the AISD Boundary Process Hotline, 414-2667."
Friday, October 2, 2009
Boundary Survey Results
Results of the Boundary Survey. The slide regarding overcrowding at Mills has been updated with the District's numbers to reflect the permanent capacity at the school, which is the number the district uses to calculate overcrowding.
Boundary Survey Results
View more presentations from Mills Rep.
Joe Silva's Visit to the CAC
The CAC met Thursday and we were joined by Joe Silva with AISD's planning department. We shared the results of the parent survey. (Silva corrected some of the numbers I included in the presentation, so I will correct those slides before posting.)
Here's a short synopsis of what we learned about the upcoming boudary process:
1) The Board has still not approved the priorities for the boundary process. They will meet again October 12 for a work session.
2) The district is hiring a facilitator to run the boundary task force meetings. (In my opinion, this is a good thing and will help all views be heard.)
3) The district staff will come forward with a map of the proposed boundaries - probably after October 13. That date is the first task force meeting and it will be an orientation for the members.
4) According to Silva, most people who live in AISD do NOT have children in school. He said this is why the "best use" of facilities has come up as an issue. The district does anticipate going out to voters with a new school construction bond in the next couple of years. When they do, they want to be able to say that they are spending tax dollars wisely.
5) Meridian was built for 704, not 650 as we had previously stated. Silva stated that the district likes to open new schools at around 75% of capacity, which would be 528 students.
6) Cowan Elementary has been added to the boundary process.
Here's a short synopsis of what we learned about the upcoming boudary process:
1) The Board has still not approved the priorities for the boundary process. They will meet again October 12 for a work session.
2) The district is hiring a facilitator to run the boundary task force meetings. (In my opinion, this is a good thing and will help all views be heard.)
3) The district staff will come forward with a map of the proposed boundaries - probably after October 13. That date is the first task force meeting and it will be an orientation for the members.
4) According to Silva, most people who live in AISD do NOT have children in school. He said this is why the "best use" of facilities has come up as an issue. The district does anticipate going out to voters with a new school construction bond in the next couple of years. When they do, they want to be able to say that they are spending tax dollars wisely.
5) Meridian was built for 704, not 650 as we had previously stated. Silva stated that the district likes to open new schools at around 75% of capacity, which would be 528 students.
6) Cowan Elementary has been added to the boundary process.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Note about Neighborhoods
There seems to be a little confusion about where all of our neighborhoods are in Southwest Austin, who is close to what and which neighborhood attends which school.
The new school being built is in the Meridian neighborhood, which is NOT a part of Circle C. The land has a complicated history that is tied up with the development of Circle C, but is not a Circle C neighborhood. We need to stop calling it "a Circle C school", and referring to three schools for Circle C residents. This school is being built primarily to relieve overcrowding at Clayton, and Clayton has become overcrowded because of the building that continues to occur in Southwest Austin.
No students will be added to Clayton's population during the upcoming boundary process. The lines that will be redrawn will address overcrowding at Clayton, Mills and Oak Hill-therefore, no students will be moved to any of those schools. The priority is to shrink these schools, while looking at currently underenrolled schools: Kiker, Patton, Boone and Sunset Valley.
Cowan Elementary School will also be involved in this process, since the outcome is likely to affect their lines as well. They are neither over or under enrolled, but their boundary lines are adjacent to several of the affected schools.
Monday, September 28, 2009
FUBTF Priorities
I had a question from one of our parents over the weekend. They wanted to know if the district had confirmed that tracking and location would be considered priorities for the boundary task force. So, I went and looked at the agenda for Tuesday's board meeting (September 29).
And sure enough, they have the priorities listed under the agenda. The list includes tracking (aligning feeder patterns is the term they use) and location/proximity.
To find the document click on the link to the agenda below, then scroll down to item XII, E, Exihibit B. You have to dig.
http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/public/detail_wrapper.cfm?MeetingKey=MjAwMzczODg%3D
And sure enough, they have the priorities listed under the agenda. The list includes tracking (aligning feeder patterns is the term they use) and location/proximity.
To find the document click on the link to the agenda below, then scroll down to item XII, E, Exihibit B. You have to dig.
http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/public/detail_wrapper.cfm?MeetingKey=MjAwMzczODg%3D
Q&A from Boundary Meeting
We received cards with questions on them from the Boundary Info Meeting last Monday night. I'm going to try and post them here. I'll add to the list as time permits.
1. Can 5th grade be included in the new middle school?
That was considered as an option to relieve Clayton Elementary for one year, last year (which was in a similar position as we are this year.) But no, this is not a long term solution that AISD would consider.
2. How will we assess our boundary issues without knowing how other area schools are proceeding?
We have reached out to begin dialog with surrounding elementary schools, but they are just now getting started with the process, so we are ahead in planning and soliciting parent feedback. The feedback through the survey will help the boundary reps determine what kind of plan the parents would accept. Our boundaries will be redrawn in the next 6 months. We will meet with all schools and their representatives starting October 13.
3.When redistricting occurs, which other elementary schools would likely absorb some Mills students?
Two likely elementaries that could absorb students are Kiker to our south and Patton to our north. Both are underenrolled, but also have other schools on their borders that need relief (Oak Hill and Clayton.) To our east are Cowan and Boone, which have been floated as schools that may take Mills students. Boone's population tracks to different middle and high schools than our student population does.
How do these schools rank on TAKS scores? How many are rated exemplary?
I'm taking this information directly from the AISD website, where TAKS scores and rankings are published for each campus. Links are below
Kiker: 2008 - Exemplary http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=075&opt=ratings
Patton: 2008 - Acceptable http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=092&opt=ratings
Cowan: 2008 - Recognized http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=059&opt=ratings
Boone: 2008 - Recognized http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=050&opt=ratings
Mrs. Butler requested that we point out that all the schools listed above are rated Exemplary for 2009.
What number of students do you feel is optimal when considering the realities of the available physical space?
Mrs. Butler has said she feels 900 students is optimal for Mills.
How about get rid of Pre-K? Everyone else has to take care to find pre-k for younger children. These classes take from lunchtimes and classrooms for special areas.
We considered this possibility last year, with a school-wide discussion last spring. The children who attend Pre-K at Mills are offered free instruction based on their status: economically disadvantaged, English as second language or children of military servicemen and women. We were able to get those students who wouldnt' attend Mills to be transfered back to their home campus, which reduced the number of Pre-K students on our campus. Mrs. Butler has said she feels that moving Pre-K off campus would be a short term solution, because those children would come back to Mills for kindergarten the next year. She also feels strongly about having them physically on campus to receive instruction.
Is there a way to ensure that all students at Mills belong here?
Yes, Mrs Butler required all current students in May 2009 to submit an electric bill along with their registration form in order to return to school in August. An electric bill must be in the name of the resident who lives at that address (unlike natural gas or water.) Those who did not comply were not registered as returning students in the fall. Although we don't have an official count, the CAC boundary committee estimates we lost about 30 students through this process. However, it made little impact in our numbers overall (because we continue to grow). I can try and get an official count from the front office.
When will Meridian be completed?
Meridian will open in August 2010. It's under construction now.
Is Meridican considered a "neighborhood school" or will they be taking students from other areas?
I found out recently that the district has no policy on "neighborhood schools". So I'm not sure it can be considered one. The school is expected to draw students from Clayton, which is so overcrowded they had to send incoming kindergarten students (without siblings at the school) to Kiker this year.
Why was Meridian built to hold only 650 students?
Because that was the type of school approved in the bond election. The district plans to build the school to accommodate a wing of new classrooms. (Mills was not built with that option.)
Why is Kiker always underpopulated?
It historically hasn't been. They were very overcrowded until Clayton was built and boundary lines were drawn about 4-5 years ago. In fact, Kiker had a wing of classrooms added in recent years.
Is there a current plan to rezone Mills?
Not yet. We might have maps in October. Keep checking with the blog.
Will vertical tracking issues be resolved, if part of the Mills area tracked to another elementary school? For example, if the NE portion of the Mills attendance zone tracks to Patton, will this area still track back to Bowie or Austin High?
It is my understand that boundaries for middle and high school will not be addressed in this boundary process. So, for those neighborhoods that track to Small/Bowie, they would remain on that vertical track. Moving children to Patton would not disturb those tracking patterns. Moving children to Boone or Cowan would disturb those tracking patterns.
1. Can 5th grade be included in the new middle school?
That was considered as an option to relieve Clayton Elementary for one year, last year (which was in a similar position as we are this year.) But no, this is not a long term solution that AISD would consider.
2. How will we assess our boundary issues without knowing how other area schools are proceeding?
We have reached out to begin dialog with surrounding elementary schools, but they are just now getting started with the process, so we are ahead in planning and soliciting parent feedback. The feedback through the survey will help the boundary reps determine what kind of plan the parents would accept. Our boundaries will be redrawn in the next 6 months. We will meet with all schools and their representatives starting October 13.
3.When redistricting occurs, which other elementary schools would likely absorb some Mills students?
Two likely elementaries that could absorb students are Kiker to our south and Patton to our north. Both are underenrolled, but also have other schools on their borders that need relief (Oak Hill and Clayton.) To our east are Cowan and Boone, which have been floated as schools that may take Mills students. Boone's population tracks to different middle and high schools than our student population does.
How do these schools rank on TAKS scores? How many are rated exemplary?
I'm taking this information directly from the AISD website, where TAKS scores and rankings are published for each campus. Links are below
Kiker: 2008 - Exemplary http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=075&opt=ratings
Patton: 2008 - Acceptable http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=092&opt=ratings
Cowan: 2008 - Recognized http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=059&opt=ratings
Boone: 2008 - Recognized http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=050&opt=ratings
Mrs. Butler requested that we point out that all the schools listed above are rated Exemplary for 2009.
What number of students do you feel is optimal when considering the realities of the available physical space?
Mrs. Butler has said she feels 900 students is optimal for Mills.
How about get rid of Pre-K? Everyone else has to take care to find pre-k for younger children. These classes take from lunchtimes and classrooms for special areas.
We considered this possibility last year, with a school-wide discussion last spring. The children who attend Pre-K at Mills are offered free instruction based on their status: economically disadvantaged, English as second language or children of military servicemen and women. We were able to get those students who wouldnt' attend Mills to be transfered back to their home campus, which reduced the number of Pre-K students on our campus. Mrs. Butler has said she feels that moving Pre-K off campus would be a short term solution, because those children would come back to Mills for kindergarten the next year. She also feels strongly about having them physically on campus to receive instruction.
Is there a way to ensure that all students at Mills belong here?
Yes, Mrs Butler required all current students in May 2009 to submit an electric bill along with their registration form in order to return to school in August. An electric bill must be in the name of the resident who lives at that address (unlike natural gas or water.) Those who did not comply were not registered as returning students in the fall. Although we don't have an official count, the CAC boundary committee estimates we lost about 30 students through this process. However, it made little impact in our numbers overall (because we continue to grow). I can try and get an official count from the front office.
When will Meridian be completed?
Meridian will open in August 2010. It's under construction now.
Is Meridican considered a "neighborhood school" or will they be taking students from other areas?
I found out recently that the district has no policy on "neighborhood schools". So I'm not sure it can be considered one. The school is expected to draw students from Clayton, which is so overcrowded they had to send incoming kindergarten students (without siblings at the school) to Kiker this year.
Why was Meridian built to hold only 650 students?
Because that was the type of school approved in the bond election. The district plans to build the school to accommodate a wing of new classrooms. (Mills was not built with that option.)
Why is Kiker always underpopulated?
It historically hasn't been. They were very overcrowded until Clayton was built and boundary lines were drawn about 4-5 years ago. In fact, Kiker had a wing of classrooms added in recent years.
Is there a current plan to rezone Mills?
Not yet. We might have maps in October. Keep checking with the blog.
Will vertical tracking issues be resolved, if part of the Mills area tracked to another elementary school? For example, if the NE portion of the Mills attendance zone tracks to Patton, will this area still track back to Bowie or Austin High?
It is my understand that boundaries for middle and high school will not be addressed in this boundary process. So, for those neighborhoods that track to Small/Bowie, they would remain on that vertical track. Moving children to Patton would not disturb those tracking patterns. Moving children to Boone or Cowan would disturb those tracking patterns.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Mills CAC Meeting Thursday
Quick note to let you know that the Mills Campus Advisory Council will be meeting on October 1 at 3pm in the library. All CAC meetings are open to the public. We'll have a couple of items on the agenda that pertain to the boundary process.
- We'll give a short presentation relating to the Parent Survey that was available last week. Some of the results are interesting.
- Joe Silva, Assistant Director of Planning Services with AISD has agreed to attend and answer questions we might have regarding the process.
Transfers
Several comments have been made about the number of approved transfers to Mills, and we'd like to set the record straight concerning them. Our school has been frozen to transfers for a number of years, meaning that only priority transfers will be approved. When a transfer request is sent to Student Services, it is automatically denied, and must be reviewed and approved by the Associate Superintendent, Ariel Cloud. As a courtesy, she typically verifies these with Mrs. Butler.
Any school in the district that is frozen to transfers will never have zero transfers. There are policies adopted by AISD that will prevent that from ever being the case. Mills currently has eleven majority-to-minority transfers, which are required by district policy. The AISD website states, "Students may transfer from a school where the student's ethnic group is over 50 percent of the school's population to a school where the student's ethnic group is under 50 percent of the school's population. The purpose of the majority-to-minority transfer is to complement the District's student assignments and promote diversity throughout the District."
Another policy of the district is to allow children of teachers and staff to attend the school where their parent works. There are many reasons for this, and they all benefit the school. When a teacher shows confidence in a school by having their own children attend, you can count on the quality of students education to be heightened. We currently have sixteen children of teachers and two children of staff members attending Mills.
Yet another group of students who have traditionally been granted transfers district-wide are students who are in their final year of attendance at a campus, in our case 5th grade. When a new school opens, 5th graders are given the option to stay if they choose to finish their education at the school they've been attending. Likewise, they are given the option to stay if their family moves and they are entering 5th grade. This was the case a few years ago with students who were re-zoned to Clayton Elementary but chose to stay at Mills.
Students who are grandfathered also tend to have siblings, and those siblings are also granted priority transfers. It would not be workable for parents to have children at two different schools that kept the same hours. Some of Mills continuing transfers are the siblings of those 5th graders who chose to stay at Mills over Clayton, and they are now finishing up at Mills.
Finally, there are some students who have special needs who it would be harmful to move. We do want to keep the focus on what is best for students, and some students need to stay in a stable environment that they are familiar with and with staff who have been supporting them.
While we don't want to encourage any new transfers, we stand by the District's position in granting these limited, priority transfers. Eliminating all transfers would never be an option, and it would not solve our overcrowding problem.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A Note About Grandfathering/Parent Choice
There is an option on the survey that asks you to prioritize Grandfathering/Parent Choice.
Let me explain a little about what the committee was thinking on this. As Mrs. Butler explained last night, the current district policy on grandfathering is to allow incoming 5th graders to stay and finish their final year, and allow any siblings of those incoming 5th graders to also stay if they choose.
The committee wanted to know if parents wanted the option of allowing any children who already attend Mills to stay and finish (no siblings). (Side note: this is an extreme long shot, as the district has never grandfathered more than 2 grades at an existing school.)
The numbers for a plan like this may or may not work out, but we wanted to get parents input on whether they would tolerate some overcrowding in favor of having a choice of their children to stay and finish at Mills.
This idea was not explained very well last night, but I did want to communicate what the boundary committee was thinking on this.
Let me explain a little about what the committee was thinking on this. As Mrs. Butler explained last night, the current district policy on grandfathering is to allow incoming 5th graders to stay and finish their final year, and allow any siblings of those incoming 5th graders to also stay if they choose.
The committee wanted to know if parents wanted the option of allowing any children who already attend Mills to stay and finish (no siblings). (Side note: this is an extreme long shot, as the district has never grandfathered more than 2 grades at an existing school.)
The numbers for a plan like this may or may not work out, but we wanted to get parents input on whether they would tolerate some overcrowding in favor of having a choice of their children to stay and finish at Mills.
This idea was not explained very well last night, but I did want to communicate what the boundary committee was thinking on this.
Mills Elementary Boundary Info Presentation
Thanks to all the parents who showed up at the meeting last night. If you weren't able to make it, I've posted the presentation that Mrs. Butler gave last night.
Mrs. Butler will be giving the presentation again on Friday ta 8am in the Mills Library, during the principal's coffee. Surveys will be available at that time also.
A note about surveys. I will leave some surveys in the front office for parents to fill out. Please return them by Friday at noon. We will begin collating the results and plan to have a presentation on parent feedback at the next CAC meeting, October 1 at 3pm in the Mills Library. The meeting is open to the public, although public comment is limited, because the CAC has other business to do that day as well.
Mrs. Butler will be giving the presentation again on Friday ta 8am in the Mills Library, during the principal's coffee. Surveys will be available at that time also.
A note about surveys. I will leave some surveys in the front office for parents to fill out. Please return them by Friday at noon. We will begin collating the results and plan to have a presentation on parent feedback at the next CAC meeting, October 1 at 3pm in the Mills Library. The meeting is open to the public, although public comment is limited, because the CAC has other business to do that day as well.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Boundary Info Meeting, Monday, September 21
Just a reminder to please come to the Boundary Information Meeting that will be held in the Mills' Cafeteria at 6:30pm on Monday.
Three key points of the meeting:
- Explain overcrowding at Mills
- Explain the District's process of redrawing elementary school boundaries
- Survey Mills parents about what their priorities are. These priorities will help the boundary representatives from Mills evaluate maps that are shown to them as the process gets underway.
The surveys will only be available at the meeting. Parents will also have a chance to fill out surveys at the Principal's Coffee on Friday morning at 8am in the library. The survey is difficult to fill out without first seeing the presentation on overcrowding at the school.
Nearly every family at Mills is potentially effected by the redrawing of boundaries, because the school's attendance zone is so small geographically, nearly everyone lives on or near a boundary line.
Three key points of the meeting:
- Explain overcrowding at Mills
- Explain the District's process of redrawing elementary school boundaries
- Survey Mills parents about what their priorities are. These priorities will help the boundary representatives from Mills evaluate maps that are shown to them as the process gets underway.
The surveys will only be available at the meeting. Parents will also have a chance to fill out surveys at the Principal's Coffee on Friday morning at 8am in the library. The survey is difficult to fill out without first seeing the presentation on overcrowding at the school.
Nearly every family at Mills is potentially effected by the redrawing of boundaries, because the school's attendance zone is so small geographically, nearly everyone lives on or near a boundary line.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
"We got the point"
This morning, Paul Turner, Director of Facilities for AISD, contacted Lisa Chatham, Mills Boundary Representative, to say that the district understands where parents stand on the priorities of tracking and school proximity. He's "crystal clear" on where we stand.
They are working on submitting a list of revised priorities to the Board of Trusttees this week, that should address our concerns. We will keep you posted.
For now, I believe we can hold off on futher emails. Thank you for those who chimed in.
Something to think about:
I also talked with Robert Schneider (our board of trustees rep.) Tuesday, and he said that there is no AISD policy that supports neighborhood schools at any level. While the district has an established practice of supporting neighborhood schools at the elementary level, there is nothing to back that up other than a practice which may be changed at any time.
If, as a parent, you want neighborhood schools, (which Schneider says he supports,) we might need to push for a district policy which formally directs that action to take place. And, you should know that this may mean that the district has to build more schools - and pass more bonds for construction - rather than "backfilling" existing schools, that have a falling population.
Something to think about as a taxpayer and a parent.
We plan to add this issue the parent survey we will pass out Monday night. To fill out a parent survey, please come to the Boundary Info Meeting, Monday, September 21 at 6:30 in the cafeteria.
They are working on submitting a list of revised priorities to the Board of Trusttees this week, that should address our concerns. We will keep you posted.
For now, I believe we can hold off on futher emails. Thank you for those who chimed in.
Something to think about:
I also talked with Robert Schneider (our board of trustees rep.) Tuesday, and he said that there is no AISD policy that supports neighborhood schools at any level. While the district has an established practice of supporting neighborhood schools at the elementary level, there is nothing to back that up other than a practice which may be changed at any time.
If, as a parent, you want neighborhood schools, (which Schneider says he supports,) we might need to push for a district policy which formally directs that action to take place. And, you should know that this may mean that the district has to build more schools - and pass more bonds for construction - rather than "backfilling" existing schools, that have a falling population.
Something to think about as a taxpayer and a parent.
We plan to add this issue the parent survey we will pass out Monday night. To fill out a parent survey, please come to the Boundary Info Meeting, Monday, September 21 at 6:30 in the cafeteria.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Last Night's School Board Meeting
So, last night, the AISD board of trustees had a work session, and among the topics was the process of how to redraw the boundaries.
Superintendent Carstarphen and Director of Facilities Paul Turner presented the following priorities for the upcoming elementary school boundary process.
Primary Priorities from AISD:
• Achieve capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities
• Affect the fewest students possible
• Prevent multiple reassignment of students among schools by developing stable, long-term assignment plans
Secondary Priorities from AISD
• Minimize distance and travel time for students getting to and from school
• Align feeder patterns (AKA Tracking: attend the same schools as a large group from one geographic area.)
See the entire presentation here.
What came out of the meeting
Some members of the board of trustees had concerns about the list of priorities being different that what may be good for children and what parents would want to see. Dr. Carstarphen said she would consult with education staff with the district to get their input. She plans to resubmit the list of district priorities to the board of trustees on THURSDAY. The board will vote on these Tuesday, September 29, the same day AISD staff plans to hold their first community meeting at Clayton Elementary.
Here’s the question. Do you think the district should consider tracking and school proximity when setting priorities for boundaries? If so, please email aisd@millspta.org – and your email will be sent to the superintendent, members of the board of trustees and key staff that set the priorities. Want a form email to send? Click here.
Don’t forget – we’ll be gathering more input on priorities from Mills Parents next Monday, September 21. To fill out a parent survey, you have to be at the meeting!
Superintendent Carstarphen and Director of Facilities Paul Turner presented the following priorities for the upcoming elementary school boundary process.
Primary Priorities from AISD:
• Achieve capacity targets that ensure efficient operation of facilities
• Affect the fewest students possible
• Prevent multiple reassignment of students among schools by developing stable, long-term assignment plans
Secondary Priorities from AISD
• Minimize distance and travel time for students getting to and from school
• Align feeder patterns (AKA Tracking: attend the same schools as a large group from one geographic area.)
See the entire presentation here.
What came out of the meeting
Some members of the board of trustees had concerns about the list of priorities being different that what may be good for children and what parents would want to see. Dr. Carstarphen said she would consult with education staff with the district to get their input. She plans to resubmit the list of district priorities to the board of trustees on THURSDAY. The board will vote on these Tuesday, September 29, the same day AISD staff plans to hold their first community meeting at Clayton Elementary.
Here’s the question. Do you think the district should consider tracking and school proximity when setting priorities for boundaries? If so, please email aisd@millspta.org – and your email will be sent to the superintendent, members of the board of trustees and key staff that set the priorities. Want a form email to send? Click here.
Don’t forget – we’ll be gathering more input on priorities from Mills Parents next Monday, September 21. To fill out a parent survey, you have to be at the meeting!
Parent Meeting and Surveys
The Mills Campus Advisory Council is working hard to develop a parent survey – to determine what your priorities are for the upcoming boundary task force.
We’ll have an information meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm in the Mills Cafeteria.
The only way to get a survey is to attend this meeting. They won’t be going home in the Tuesday folders, so make sure your neighbors know, if they want to weigh in, they have to come to the meeting!
We’ll have an information meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm in the Mills Cafeteria.
The only way to get a survey is to attend this meeting. They won’t be going home in the Tuesday folders, so make sure your neighbors know, if they want to weigh in, they have to come to the meeting!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Twitter Account
Just set up a twitter account to send updates during Boundary Meetings. We can also use it as a way to share the latest information -
If you want a real time feed, follow us @millsrep.
If you want a real time feed, follow us @millsrep.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Boundary Process Begins
Calling All Mills Parents...
AISD is preparing to redraw elementary school boundaries, to accommodate the opening of the new southwest elementary school next Fall. Mills will be included in this boundary process. At Mills, Mrs. Butler, along with members of the Campus Advisory Council, believe it's essential to meet and determine the our community's priorities for this upcoming process.
To do that, we're holding a Boundary Information Meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm in the Mills cafeteria.
Why should you come to the meeting?
First, you'll find out about the overcrowding problem at Mills. You may not know, but we are the largest elementary school in the entire district with 1080 students. And there are consequences to being that large.
Plus, your opinion will be heard! We've prepared a survey to find out what values you want to see reflected in the boundary proposals. For example, do you value being able to walk to school? Do you value a phase-in plan that would allow existing students to continue going to Mills? Do you want to preserve existing tracking from elementary to middle and high school?
We will use this feedback to evaluate proposals from the District, so it's very important that you attend this meeting.
We're using this blog to begin a dialogue with parents, so check back often for updates.
AISD is preparing to redraw elementary school boundaries, to accommodate the opening of the new southwest elementary school next Fall. Mills will be included in this boundary process. At Mills, Mrs. Butler, along with members of the Campus Advisory Council, believe it's essential to meet and determine the our community's priorities for this upcoming process.
To do that, we're holding a Boundary Information Meeting on Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm in the Mills cafeteria.
Why should you come to the meeting?
First, you'll find out about the overcrowding problem at Mills. You may not know, but we are the largest elementary school in the entire district with 1080 students. And there are consequences to being that large.
Plus, your opinion will be heard! We've prepared a survey to find out what values you want to see reflected in the boundary proposals. For example, do you value being able to walk to school? Do you value a phase-in plan that would allow existing students to continue going to Mills? Do you want to preserve existing tracking from elementary to middle and high school?
We will use this feedback to evaluate proposals from the District, so it's very important that you attend this meeting.
We're using this blog to begin a dialogue with parents, so check back often for updates.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)