News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. I No. 3 - January 19, 2006
Of all the issues associated with re-drawing attendance boundaries one fact remains clear — people in Madison feel a positive connection to their neighborhood schools and aren't bashful about speaking out in support of them and the valuable contribution schools make to our neighborhoods.
With that backdrop, parents representing every school in the Memorial, West and East attendance area, along with students, principals and other citizens met this fall to provide recommendations to the Board of Education about how to deal with issues of overcrowding and under-enrollment.
Chief of Staff Mary Gulbrandsen, who chaired the Memorial-West task force, said, "This group has reaffirmed my belief in the value and importance of citizen input. There was such respect among the participants. I found it encouraging and stimulating."
Gulbrandsen said the complexity of the issues soon became evident. The goals for the task forces were to ensure economic balance at schools, keep historical neighborhoods together and keep bus rides under 45 minutes. "People buy homes so children can go to school in that neighborhood, so this issue is taken very seriously," Gulbrandsen said. "We know how important neighborhoods are to people."
While the issues were similar for participants on the East attendance area task force, there were noticeable nuances. MMSD coordinator of federal government programs Loren Rathert, who chaired the East task force, believed there was more of a sense of urgency on the west side, given that several schools are at or near capacity.
"There wasn't the same sense of urgency on the eastside," Rathert said. "Participants' primary objective was retaining their neighborhood school and coming to grips with finding the right economic balance." The low-income range of students attending east side schools is from 34% to 76%.
Several elementary schools on the east side are under capacity. In the isthmus area and on the northeast side, Rathert said task force members looked at different ways to utilize extra space by bringing in other activities (MSCR or alternative programs). "The members worked hard, did their homework, and wrestled intellectually and emotionally with the issues.
"This was an excellent opportunity for parents and community members to dialogue with each other," Rathert said. "There is an increased understanding on the part of parents representing eastside schools. They now have a better understanding of what is happening across the entire eastside."
The task forces will make recommendations to the BOE's Long Range Planning committee meeting at Lincoln Elementary on January 23.
Last Updated: Tue Mar 28 12:16:54 2006
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