Redistricting a Reality for Madison Elementary Schools

A redistricting plan giving current elementary students and families options was approved by the Madison Board of Education, 6-0, on Tuesday night. The plan was created to give greater space flexibility to Central Avenue Elementary School.

Superintendent Dr. Richard Noonan has consistently stated since Feb. 23–when the plan was originally presented–that parents in the redistricted areas would have the option to keep their children at Central Avenue if any of their children are currently in the school system. That option is open for both current and new students in those families.

"If a family believes a change of schools right now is disruptive to their son or daughter's development, we think that should be given preeminence in all of this," Noonan said. "And that should be more important to the district and Board of Education than some modest or slight gain in space flexibility at Central."

Families who have not enrolled any children in the district before September will be required to follow the new guidelines.

Noonan also said that CAS is not in a space crisis right now. The redistricting is based on demographic studies and current trends that show CAS will continue to get closer to the upper limit of the current district class guidelines per section than the other two schools.

The areas approved for rezoning were the ones detailed in "Plan A" of the original presentation. In that plan, redistricting would occur in the area of Ashland Road and Spring Garden Drive for children that would move from Central Avenue School to Kings Road School, and in an area above Madison Avenue and below the train tracks stretching from Danforth Road to the meeting of Chester and Elm Streets for children moving from Central Avenue School to Torey J. Sabatini School.

"Plan B," which was not approved, would have sent students in the area from Danforth Road to Fairwood Road to Torey J. Sabatini, and kept the students in the area east of that at CAS.

Kings Road Principal Kathleen Koop and Torey J. Sabatini Principal Michael Post both detailed extensive programs to help students who choose to move to their schools adjust and become comfortable with their new surroundings.

Each school will host orientation sessions for an hour on two days in May. At those sessions, parents and students will be able to speak with key faculty and staff members and tour the facilities and classrooms. If those specific days do not work for some parents, they will be able to set up another time to go. The two schools will also be inviting students in the redistricted areas to attend events, such as Kings Road's science fair.

There will also be Buddy Families, who already have children at Kings Road and Torey J. Sabatini, available for parents to talk to, and there will be Buddy Students for children that choose to attend their redistricted schools.

"So that they have, if only just for the first few days or week of school, the comfort of knowing somebody," Post said. "I'm assuming, actually, that they will know more than just one person, but this will be official."

Both schools will also have open houses and new family get-togethers at the end of the summer.

Noonan said a letter will be mailed out to each CAS family within the redistricted zones asking them to respond by June 1 to let the district know unequivocally what they plan to do. At that point, the amount of class sections at each elementary school will be determined.

"Our goal through thick and thin, throughout all the budget turmoil and challenges that we've faced, is to preserve our class guidelines," Noonan said, "and work to make sure we are not slipping especially in regard to the number of kids at the earliest grade levels in each of our three elementary schools.

There were no questions from the public or the board after the final presentation leading to the vote.

"I think we're good to go," Board of Education President Lisa Ellis said directly before the board approved the plan.

Board Member David Arthur was not present at the meeting and James Novotny, the board's member from Harding, abstained from the vote.