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Overcrowding at Woodville Elementary
05/05/2008 5:32 PM by John M
The RTD’s A real space challenge presents overcrowded Woodville Elementary as an example of what can come of closing schools without building new ones. Woodville absorbed more than 100 children after Whitcomb Court Elementary School closed in 2006, and currently serves 573 students in a building with space for 530.
Looks like closing any more elementary schools, i.e. Bellevue, would be a bad idea. Neocons love nothing more than schools closing down…they call it, “Starving the Beast.”
I have not heard anymore about candidates for the school board in our district. Are the elections in November?
Also, how did yesterday go?
For notes and comments regarding the SB meeting on the Patrick Henry Initiative, go to http://rvanews.com/2008/05/notes-from-the-school-board-meeting-re-charter-school/. The meeting was very long but appears promising for the Charter.
I’ve heard through the vine that Torey Edmunds might be running for SB and maybe we’ll see some of the same faces from the previous race for School Board.
Tiny, let’s go to the PTA meeting at Bellevue on Monday. Is it at 5 or 5:30pm? Bellevue is definitely slated for closure and the number one reason is that very few in-zone students are enrolled. But I have some good arguments on why Bellevue should stay open and how it should become something like an IB school at the elementary level serving all in-zone students and then as space allows, out-of-zone students. East end needs a higher standard of learning school in a good neighborhood. Some of the poor kids need relief from their blighted neighborhoods –to see beauty when they arrive at school, to one day leave poverty behind. An IB type program could prepare them for the good middle school and high school programs and give them equal opportunity.
The arguement that Bellevue has high out-of-zone enrollment is no good. There are Richmond elementary schools with a significantly higher number of out-of-zone enrollment, for example, John B. Cary. I have a friend who will give me the numbers.
To close Bellevue would take away the best school in the east end and leave us with zero choice because, as it still stands, the megazone lines bar us from enrolling in the other top elementary schools in Richmond. I understand that other schools in the east end are fully accredited but that is only looking good on paper. There is more to schooling than test scoring.
I would love to see Bellevue used as an IB school myself though by the time that happens my son will most likely be in Jr. High School, :).
Same goes here but I’m also thinking of what this could do for the whole neighborhood and district. And in the planning stages of such a program, atleast Bellevue would stay open. The consequences of closing east end’s only good neighborhood school could be dire.
“Neocons love nothing more than schools closing down”
Yeah, if there is a term to describe the city government/school board it’s neo-conservative.
Gray,
Not sure I can make it (darn it!!!) because I will be recovering from surgery. But, if I can I will be there. I share your passion to keep this school open.
Tiny, I spoke with the PTA president and she has an excellent idea –the best I’ve heard yet…but I can’t share it here because I don’t want anyone to steal it…By the way, I saw the wonderful mind games Trophy at school.
Wouldn’t it be great if a group of parents could come together and have a charter school proposal ready — maybe a Montessori model — that could go into Bellevue, when and if RPS School Board ever gets its act together to actually close a school.
RPS’ lack of imagination can be the community’s greatest hope in that it will inspire regular folks to realize that they must BECOME THE CHANGE they seek to find in the world.
Here’s hoping — for the sake of other parents who are sick and tired of paying Richmond City Taxes AND private school tuition — that the Patrick Henry Charter School efforts succeeds!
….an additional thought:
How long do you think this School Board would allow classes to be overcrowded at Mary Munford or Fox? Hmmmm?
This is yet another thing our esteemed representative, WEST, should never have allowed.
I would rather have a Montessori or Reggio-Emilia magnet school, or an IB program at Bellevue. East end does not have the resources nor manpower like the PHI to form a charter. There are very few families living in Church Hill compared to the Woodland Heights neighborhood and very few in our area takes interest in Bellevue. I just do not see a charter happening on the hill. However, maybe the Central Montessori School would like to connect with Bellevue and give us advice. There is no doubt that the east end could use a speciality public school.