Another brilliant question has come up that I, again, do not know the answer to.
Someone stated that it is illegal for our kids to be sent to a school that is not in our voting district. Our district is district one and we elect that School Board member, today it is Robert Jordan. Clearlake is in district two and we have no voice in that district. Is it against our rights that our children could be sent to a school outside of our district? If so, then Fairglen also has the right to attend SCHS, I believe that would put our numbers at a drastic need for a middle school. Why have all the recent schools been built in the southern part of Brevard?
Following comment posted by Trish on January 10, 2007:
Hello my name is Patricia Yates and I live in Port St. John. Recently the school board has been talking of a "soft redistricting" plan for our schools in this area. I have been a resident of " the original" Port St. John community for 38 years and my taxes have been paying for a "promised" Junior high school for our area that has never come. Now the school board wants to bus my children to Clearlake Middle School in Cocoa to fill an under capacity school instead of requiring the students who live in that area to go there. This is unacceptable to me and all of the parents of Port St. John. My question to you is (and if you don't have the answer maybe you could direct me to someone who does) is it legal for the school board to send my child to a district out side of my voting district where I will have no say or vote in the matters pertaining to that school? I would appreciate any help or suggestions you might have.
Thanks again. Sincerely, Patricia Yates
This is the response I received from Bob Allen's office:
Dear Ms. Yates,
I was actually at a meeting just last night where Dr. Barbara Murray was the speaker. She said that with the current budget cuts they are making a lot of changes. One of them is "soft redistricting". Apparently,
Clearlake is in the middle of a maturing neighborhood with declining admission. Port St. John is bursting the current schools, and Clearlake has the room. I know it is not the perfect solution, but it is one that they can make within the current budget squeeze.
If you have any questions regarding this decision, I recommend you contact Dr. Murray directly. Her number is 321-454-2018.
Thank you for your email.
Christine Furru for
Rep. Bob Allen
Florida House of Representatives - District 32
Capitol Office - 850.488.4669
Brevard County Office - 321.449.5111
Orange County Office - 866.770.9166 (Toll Free)
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9 comments:
This was my response to that email.
Thank you for your quick response however ... my main question was not answered. I would like to know if it is legal for my children to be sent to another district outside of my voting privileges? I will have no voice or say about what happens to thier education if they are sent to Clearlake. Thank you. Patricia Yates
New response from Bob Allen's office that I just received ...
Yes, I realized that shortly after I sent it. But I decided to try to get your answer before emailing again…I feel as they are a board that your recourse may be to inform YOUR Representative on the Board that this action will be taken into account when the people of Port St. John vote the next time, but I haven’t gotten an answer yet. I will see what I can find out for you. It is an interesting problem, and I haven’t had this brought up to me before. How inconvenient will this be for you? Is this already a “done deal”? Dr. Murray had implied that this would be for new homeowners and children being born, that the current students and their siblings wouldn’t necessarily be bussed.
Thanks for your email.
Christine Furru, Legislative Assistant to
Rep. Bob Allen
Florida House of Representatives - District 32
Capitol Office - 850.488.4669
Brevard County Office - 321.449.5111
Orange County Office - 866.770.9166 (Toll Free)
it sounds to me like barabra murray isn't stating the facts either. or maybe she just doesn't know them or understands them. hopefully someone is filling her in. have you emailed all the information from bob allen's rep to her, it will be interesting to see what she has to say about that...maybe all the area reps should be included as well as bobay, i don't think they are sharing information correctly with each other, which definately concerns me!
I sent this e-mail...
Hello Ms. Murray,
I am a Port St John parent who is very concerned with the soft redistricting plans for our middle school students in Port St. John.
I have received answers and information from Dr. Bobay and Robert Jordan to some of my questions and I am thankful for their clarifications and responses. However, I am still concerned that the issue of "new students" is still an undefined and a cloudy issue.
I, along with other PSJ parents, attended the December 11th School Board meeting and I am fully aware of the School Board definition of "new students" as of that meeting. I am also aware that you were a speaker and spoke to the redistricting issue on January 9th. A representative from Bob Allen's office was present and left that meeting with the idea that you implied that "new students" refers to only new homeowners and new children being born.
If the definition for "new students" has changed, many parents in PSJ will be happy. However, the definition for "new students" at the Dec 11 School Board meeting was any current 6th grader/rising 7th grader.
Ms. Murray, I ask you to please clarify which definition of "new students" is correct for the soft redistricting plans going forward. I am afraid that the term "new students" has been used to muddy the issue and would ask that everyone drop this term in favor of the real definition so we, the concerned citizens, do not have to continuously get everyone on the same page with the same definition. Simply put, have the board decide which terms to use "new to the area students" or "new to 7th grade students" because there is no way to confuse those statements.
I also have an additional question I have yet to bring to the School Board. If you can answer it for me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Is it legal for our students to be bussed to a different school district that our elected area School Board Member does not represent?
I also have a recommendation/alternative answer to help fill Clearlake to capacity.
> Freeze Clearlake to outgoing students. In the spirit of soft redistricting this would not affect students already in the other schools.
> Two choices for Cocoa students for middle school 1) McNair (unfreeze to Clearlake only) or 2) Clearlake.
Thank you in advance for your time,
Doreen Erickson
Teach PSJ Kids in PSJ!
cc. Dr. Bobay and Robert Jordan
I'm not sure it's looking so good for this argument. I found this:
1001.363 District school board members to represent entire district.--Each district school board of each district shall represent the entire district. Each member of the district school board shall serve as the representative of the entire district, rather than as the representative of a district school board member residence area.
Here:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch1001/ch1001.htm
If I'm understanding this, the members are voted on by the people in their "residence areas," but once elected every member represents the entire district.
Anyone else read it differently?
The assumption would be that your child would be in the district of your elected official. I don't believe this addresses that issue at all.
Sure they (the School Board members) are to behave in the best interest of all the students however, let's be real, they will push forward their area's/voters concerns/ideas to the front and make arguments toward those causes because the favorable results will cause one to be reelected.
Got a point there. But I bet if the school board looks over the same statutes after being challenged with this, they will use that one to hide behind. Because technically the representative we voted on is still looking out for our kids over there. "On paper" will be good enough for them, even if it's not the reality.
Any response on your alternative suggestion, Doreen?
Nope, I've not heard back from anyone.
I received two answers yesterday to my e-mail to Ms. Murray.
________________________
From Dr. Murray...
David and Doreen,
Your points and questions are well received. It seems that we have been given different answers at different times which I am not happy about.
Our original plan and message was to not impact current students and their
siblings. It appears that changes from that message are being proposed. I will look into the matter and get back to you. At this time, I will not support moving students to another school in the middle of their current placement.
I strongly encourage parents to explore the new program at Clearlake. I visited with students and teachers this week at the school and all were impressive.
Barb Murray
________________________
From Dr. Bobay...
Dear Ms. Erickson:
Thank you again for your additional questions. I am responding to your recent letter to Dr. Murray. New students are considered new to the school. The proposal also considers the 7/8 middle school as a separate entity and the 9-12 high school as separate. An example would be a current 7th grade student going to 8th grade in the next school year. If a rising 6th grade brother or sister is scheduled to attend Space Coast Junior Senior High School (SCJSHS) this sibling could attend SCJSHS. However, if a 10th grade student is rising to the 11th grade in the following year and a rising 6th grader is moving to middle school as a 7th grader and is living within the proposed Clearlake boundary, he or she would go to Clearlake.
Students currently attending Atlantis or Enterprise would be permitted to continue in attendance under the current proposal.
Our elected School Board members serve as a total group in providing approval for boundaries. Yes, the boundaries could affect multiple Board member districts.
Your comments and recommendation will be shared with other School Board members. Please let me know if you have other questions.
Sincerely,
Ronald R. Bobay
Area IV Superintendent
pc: Dr. Richard A. DiPatri
School Board Members
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