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Proposed move lacks support<br>

Williams Unified School District Board President Janet Cothren fields questions from the crowd during the town hall meeting April 26 at the Williams Elementary-Middle School auditorium. Looking on is Cindy Daniels (seated) of School House Solutions and WUSD Superintendent Susan Scherz.

The auditorium was filled with concerned parents and community members who questioned the district’s plans for the upcoming school year. A decrease in enrollment combined with a declining budget has resulted in reduction in force of five WUSD certified staff members.

The original format for the town hall meeting included an overview of needs and concerns in reference to the school district and outlined proposed changes for the 2005-2006 school year. Proposed changes include a reconfiguration plan, relocating seventh- and eighth grade students to the WHS campus and implementing extended instructional times for reading and math for elementary students.

A small group discussion was to follow. Five topics were to be offered for small group discussion including scheduling, supervision and academics for seventh- and eighth-grades, extended instructional time for elementary reading and math, accountability, students with special needs and budget and staffing.

When the time came to break into small groups, members of the audience adamantly refused to do so. The audience remained intact, asking questions in reference to the proposed changes. Comments voiced were similar to those heard during an April 12 special board meeting. Concerns and questions expressed included:

• Not enough time has been allowed to demolish the former vocational education building and place a modular building on that site. A middle school student pointed out that it has taken more than one year to construct a volleyball court at the WEMS. Therefore, a move to the WHS campus would be difficult to complete in a timely manner.

• The board prepared the reconfiguration plan without input from staff. Staff was never asked how they felt about possible changes.

• Incidents of bullying will increase if seventh- and eighth-grade students are relocated to the WHS.

• Parents of seventh- and eighth-grade students were concerned about their students mingling with high school-aged youth. They expressed concern about their students being too immature to maintain healthy relationships with the older students.

• More than once, individuals stated the appearance of the board already having their minds made up and considered the plans as “a done deal.”

• Parents of special needs children questioned how those children could benefit from the elimination of grade levels.

• An increase in teacher to student ratio. The current average teacher to student ratio in Williams is one teacher to every 15.5 students. Some stated this ratio was too low, and the actual ratio is actually one teacher to approximately 35 students.

Approximately 200 students have left the WUSD to be home schooled, to attend charter schools or have enrolled in other districts, said Cindy Daniels, school facilitator and owner of School House Solutions. The decline in enrollment has led to a reduced budget and changes must be made that will result in the return of those students to the WUSD.

If the middle school students are moved to a modular building on the high school campus, the former vocational education building located on South Ninth Street will be demolished and a modular building would replace it, housing the seventh- and eighth-grade students. Forest fees and existing capital would be used to fund the demolition and the lease of the modular building.

The cost of the site demolition, preparation, transport and setup fees for the modular building is estimated to be $70,000 for Fiscal Year 2006. Over the next five years, the annual lease on the modular building will be $50,000 annually. No other costs — such as utilities — have been mentioned in reference to the modular building.

The current WEMS facility would be converted to a preschool through sixth-grade campus. The technology department, now housed in the old vocational building, will be moved to the current district office. The district office staff, along with the special education department and 21st Century Grant staff, will be moved to the elementary building. Middle school students would have the opportunity to take advantage of more electives, particularly technology classes that are not offered at the WEMS, said WHS Principal Bob Kuhn.

The middle school and high school-aged students would not intermingle since passing and lunch periods would be at different times. Middle school students would not be allowed to leave campus during the lunch hour. Sports cannot be combined per Arizona Interscholastic Association mandates, said Kuhn.

“The kids are together a lot already,” he said. “Right now, we have students in grades kindergarten through eighth in one building.”

The next regular meeting of the board begins at 6 p.m. May 11 at the WHS cafeteria.


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