Here is a letter I sent to the school board. Dont forget about the upcoming school board meeting. :) Dear Members of the Board, Thank you for putting the boundary concern on the agenda for January 27th. When our group met with Ryan and Steve, the idea of gathering information from people all over Pasco was discussed. I hope the board will consider holding community forums or conducting third party surveys. It has never been my intent to benefit my neighborhood at the expense of another. I have wondered if families downtown with students being bused to Chiawana were experiencing the same hardships as we are. Since being involved with this issue, I have learned that is the case. I have heard stories from students, parents and teachers who feel it would be better for themselves or their students who live close to PHS to attend PHS. They desire this because it is a closer school, they want to be with their friends, and to access to the programs offered there. I have learned that I have neighbors that allow relatives living downtown use their address so they may attend PHS instead of CHS. I want to do what is best for all of Pascos families and students and Pasco as a whole. I hope by revisiting this issue, we dont just look for a quick fix but for a solution that will be of the greatest benefit. I understand the benefits of desegregation and trying to create balanced schools. Personally, I am not against this idea, I just dont see that the current situation is effective in producing the desired results. Through my research I have discovered that manipulated boundaries are not the recommended way to accomplish this. In fact, experts specifically advise against using boundaries to create diversity because it is not sustainable. Instead, they suggest to create natural integration through choice by offering different programs or focuses at each school and allowing students to request which school they wish to attend. Many school districts have found success with this plan after manipulated boundaries have failed. It accomplishes diversifying the student population and has public support because of the element of choice. I believe this option would also relieve some of the competition between the two schools. I hope asking for public input and looking into alternative ways to diversify the schools is something you will consider. Thank you for your service. Christina Johnson
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 05:00:05 +0000
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