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New Capacity Numbers May Guide WJCC School Board Redisticting Vote TonightBy Amber Lester Tuesday, April 20, 2010 When the Williamsburg-James City County School Board meets to vote on its redistricting plan tonight, its members will be using new capacity numbers.Assistant Superintendent of Operations Bob Becker sent the board adjusted capacity numbers for its newest elementary school, J. Blaine Blayton, that show the school being filled to 76 percent of capacity. In the most recent plans discussed by the school board, its capacity was shown as 83.88 percent. Becker said he met with Blayton Principal Jeffrey Carroll, Regina Yitbarek, the executive director for elementary instruction and Renee Dino, the supervisor of the Early Childhood Program to discuss allocation of space in the school. In accordance with a long-term strategic plan for preschool adopted by the board in 2008, the new school was going to have 10 preschool classrooms. But if projections are accurate, eight of the classrooms will be filled next fall, leaving two to be used for other purposes. The group agreed to have two classrooms used for regular elementary instruction, which means the school will now have more space available for students. Throughout the redistricting process, board members have struggled to fill Blayton; now, the board members might have to redistrict more neighborhoods to keep the school’s capacity above 80 percent. When the board established capacity, diversity and proximity as its criteria for redistricting, it defined capacity as filling 85-88 percent of the school. Board Chair James Nickols said Monday the board will have to consider the new numbers in its deliberations at its meeting, but will not have a period for public comment. The board is not required by Virginia code to have a public hearing pertaining to redistricting because its enrollment is below 15,000 students, according to the board’s legal counsel D. Patrick Lacy. The board will vote on its redistricting plan to rezone neighborhoods for elementary and middle schools in a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom in building F of the county complex. Following the special meeting, the board will meet for a work session, during which there will be public comment. To read about the most recent plan discussed by the board, click here. |
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Comments
Advocating for our children means getting the facts. It is unfortunate that it took a determined parent to discover the error in the board's capacity projections. Good parents aren't afraid to "step to the mic" and ensure the board is acting on good information, and in the best interest of the community's children!
This is less about DJ Montague vs. Matoaka, and more about continuity and investment. We've invested in our school community. It will take years to create a similar sense of community elsewhere, and I'm not convinced that it is necessary to uproot our children from that school community, and bus them twice as far because enrollment might be a bit lower than anticipated at another school further down the road.
Accuracy is crucial when doing the public's business. If parents go by the WJCC web site, they will show up at the Stryker Building in time to meet the City Council candidates, not Building F of the County Complex where the School Board Meeting will be held...
then. Why does the Board insist on keeping it at DJ - as a dark blue island in a sea of green on the map?