By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
November 20, 2008 11:56 pm
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PENDLETON — The South Madison Community School Corporation already has decided to move about 25 percent of Maple Ridge Elementary School students to Pendleton Elementary School. Now the task is to figure out which ones.
Mark Matlock, director of support services for the school system, presented seven options to the school board Thursday, all of them choices as to where students in areas like Ingalls, Summerlake, Prairie Hollow and Carefree would go to school next year.
The options were the work of parents who met in three meetings in October and November to discuss redistricting.
“It’s kind of a unique process,” Matlock said. “Anyone who came and wanted to participate could participate.”
Options 1 and 1B would send Ingalls and Summerlake students to Maple Ridge, while Prairie Hollow, Carefree and students north of Interstate 69 would attend Pendleton. The difference between the two is that option 1B would send a portion of students north of I-69 to Maple Ridge.
“The groups that liked the idea of people who live around Maple Ridge going to Maple Ridge liked that option,” Matlock said.
Options 3, 4 and 4B would send students from Prairie Hollow, Summerlake, Carefree and west of County Road 650 West to Maple Ridge and Ingalls and students east of 650 West to Pendleton.
Finally, options 5 and 5B would have students in Summerlake, Carefree and north of I-69 go to Maple Ridge, while those in Ingalls and Prairie Hollow would attend Pendleton.
Redistricting is necessary to control the growth of Maple Ridge, which had 887 students this year and a projected 914 students next year.
“Something had to be done to keep that building functional,” Matlock said.
About 30-40 students from each grade level at Maple Ridge would move to Pendleton. Maple Ridge would be an elementary school with about 650 students in grades kindergarten through sixth, while Pendleton would have about 740 students in grades kindergarten through fourth.
Pendleton Intermediate School, which now operates as Pendleton Middle School, would have about 270 fifth- and sixth-graders, all of those from Pendleton Elementary and 65 from Maple Ridge.
Groups studying redistricting options took into account geographic proximity to the schools, capacity, projected enrollment and traffic patterns, as well as the demographic impact, focusing on students who receive free and reduced lunches.
“We do understand there’s an inverse relationship between the free and reduced lunch students and the scores that are going to be expected on the ISTEP tests,” Matlock said.
If both Ingalls and Prairie Hollow students went to Pendleton, it would reverse today’s trend of more free and reduced lunch students attending Maple Ridge.
The school board was pleased with the parent turnout for the meetings, for which there were about 90 participants, Superintendent Thomas Warmke said.
“The participation was very good,” board President Jack Trippeer said. “The interest was very high, everyone was on task and it was done in a very respectful and orderly fashion.”
Redistricting will be discussed at the board’s Dec. 4 and Jan. 8 meetings with a vote expected on Jan. 8. Public input will be invited for both meetings.
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In other South Madison Community Schools business:
— The board approved an extension of its $5 million loan to cover cash flow problems that resulted from late property tax payments. The loan, which is earning interest in a money market, has been extended through March.
— The board approved revised policies on student wellness and grading and new policies on lesson plans and public conduct on school property.
— The board learned the school district had been accredited as a Quality School System by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.
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