Buses drive some West Seneca Central students past a neighborhood school on their way to their assigned school building. And when they get there, chances are they see some teachers traveling from classroom to classroom with carts.
Long bus rides and lack of classrooms in some schools are some of the reasons the district is looking at redistricting elementary schools.
"If you walk over to Allendale, on any give day you might see a reading specialist sitting with a student in the hallway performing some reading intervention," Superintendent Matthew Bystrak said at a community forum last month. "Ideally, you don’t want teachers and students working in hallways."
The district contracted with consultant PLC Associates to study attendance zones and help with strategic planning. The district also formed a core team to work with the consultant and look at changing the boundaries for enrollment in the district's five elementary schools. The group will present a recommendation to the School Board in February or March.
People are also reading…
District officials want to achieve balanced student enrollment, similar class sizes within each school, and equitable educational programs with spaces for learning and playing. In looking at options, the district also will consider future development in the town.
The superintendent said there is no specific timeline, but if enrollment boundaries are to be changed for the fall, the decision would have to be made with plenty of time to plan for teacher and student assignments, moving equipment and revising transportation routes. Making a decision in late winter also would allow money to be included in the budget.
That doesn't mean a phased-in approach isn't possible, Bystrak said. He said the district wants any changes to be thoughtful.
"If we didn’t have to upset the apple cart, if we didn’t feel it was important, we wouldn’t be doing it right now," Bystrak said. "This isn't something we take lightly."
A community survey had some common suggestions, according to Betsy Smith of PLC Associates. Students being assigned to schools close to home is a high priority, as is having all teachers, including music and art teachers, with a dedicated room.
Most wanted to have prekindergarten programs at every elementary school. Currently Northwood and Winchester-Potters elementary schools have pre-K. And many others want bus rides that are not long, keeping siblings and neighborhoods together and the ability to grandfather students into their schools so there are not too many transitions to new schools.
