Visions of the Future

There are changes happening in our school district. We currently have 10 buildings. The 'capacity' for these buildings is roughly twice current enrollment. 3 buildings are being torn down and going to be replaced by 1 building that will house 2 of the current buildings. The 3rd building is the Board of Ed and has not been announced where it will be 'housed'. But as it is coming down in the spring, it will need to be moved this summer. Changes to where children go are going to happen at the end of this school year. Fact. What these changes are going to be. Rumor. Currently one primary is K-2, the other primary buildings are PK-3. So one intermediate is 3-6, the other two are 4-6. The new building when it opens fall of 2018 will be 6-12. The district says that all primary and intermediate buildings will house the same grades. Fact. Currently, in addition to the buildings that need to be torn down, the buses are kept in what is going to be the construction site. Fact.

I love the primary school my boys attend(ed). Pyrope moved on to the intermediate school this year. Obsidian 'should' have this year and next left at the primary. I love the primary school. I have had my issues with the school, but have always been able to work them out. I'm the president of the PTA this year. Even after my boys are gone from this school, I would love to see it intact for future students. It does what it does very well. However, this school has more students in it than any of the other primary buildings, and more than 2 of the 3 intermediate schools. This school is by far the most central geographically. It also has the space to keep all of the buses.

I don't anticipate it will be a school next year. I wish I saw the future differently. Talking to the staff at the school, they feel the same. From a purely logical and logistical point of view, it is the school to close first. Eventually, I see all of the primary buildings closing as primaries. Well maybe keep one of them as a PK-K. The intermediates all have nearly the space to be 1-5 buildings. The 'plan' will be announced in January to February.

In the mean time, I'm starting to do research. If Obsidian is going to an intermediate next year, will I be able to move Pyrope to the same intermediate? Obisdian's learning needs dictate that he can not go to the intermediate that Pyrope is at. At the end of last school year, Pyrope was only going to be at the intermediate for 4-5, and then move to the new campus in 6th. But now the new campus won't be open until he is starting 7th. If next year 3rd is considered intermediate, then Obsidian will be moving on a year early in addition to Pyrope staying a year longer. Having two kids in the same district, in the same level of school, but in two buildings is problematic for multiple reasons. In addition Obsidian's ETR is due for renew next year. At this point, it is best to have his ETR updated by a team that knows him. I've started the ball rolling that his ETR will be reopened early, sometime this winter. If I were to wait until the official announcement of the fate of the buildings, it very well would be too late to complete his ETR by the end of the school year.

Then there is the issue of being president of the PTA of the school that is likely to be closed. The treasurer is new to being a treasurer, and is not a rapid learner. How our by-laws are currently written, if we were to dissolve (which will need to happen if we no longer have a school), all assets will need to be turned over to the state. I've started to look at our by-laws. In other by-laws from similar organizations in our state, some have it if they dissolve, the non-profit is allowed to choose another non-profit for their assets to go to. At a minimum, we could give whatever we have to another unit in our district that our children will now be served at. Even prior to the final dissolution, looking at ways to spend the majority of our money before the end of the school year.

While some of these plans, such as the ETR and revising the by-laws and standing rules, will be done this year. Other plans, will be quiet, semi-hidden plans. If I were to wait until I know for sure if these plans are needed, it would be too late to complete them.

So I'm in a season of lining up ducks. Ducks I wish that I didn't need to line up. But the compeleling need to know my ducks are in place, or at least being rounded up, trumps my desire to bury my head.