South School to Transfer Some Students

The Board of Education on Monday decided that some students will be moved out of South Elementary School in the fall to either West or East School because of overcrowding. 

While the board has agreed that they must take action to tackle overcrowding at South, it has yet to decide which of would be best for the town. 

Around three dozen parents attended Monday's meeting at the high school to express their concerns:

Lisa Platt: "For the South School third and first grade CMT scores, from 2008 to 2011, there is a direct, inverse correlation between average scores and enrollment. I'm hoping that's going to be considered in making East, South and West equal so all our kids are doing the best they can on their CMTs.”

Molly Higgins: "I urge you before putting parents through [redistricting, to consider] that everyone who goes to South belongs there."

Meg Mejos: "I feel that redistricting lower Weed and its feeders just doesn't seem fair. If it gets a reputation as a swing area, it could be harmful to our property values. When people purchase property, they don't want to worry about their children being uprooted. As far as we knew, this part had already been redistricted once."

Sandra Bell: "If you go down option two, in five years time you'll be switching the problem to East School. With all due respect to those who have spoken about real estate value, this is not about real estate value, this is about our kids' education." 

Kelly Kraus: "Redistricting on Weed Street feels like déjà vu. I'm a little older than most of the parents here, my children were redistricted and I can tell you they'll live through it. It's really not that bad. It was, however, a totally unnecessary experience then and I'm afraid you're doing the same thing again."

Virginia Robertson: This all happened so quickly. My child will be in first grade next year, it seems ridiculous to shift an overcrowding problem at South to an overcrowding problem at East."  

Susan Orse: "As for finding people not in South district, I warn you against going out on a witch hunt."

Along with hearing parents' concerns, the board also weighed the complicated issue of developing new bus routes.

District transportation coordinator Roy Walder told the council that routes would have to include an area with adequate space for a school bus to turn around.

"I don't feel comfortable with children crossing the busy street. There needs to be a place for the bus to turn around so it can do front door pick-up. It can't back up and do a K-turn," said Walder. 

South School Principal Joanne Rocco also stressed the importance of making a decision by May 7 in order to give school administration adequate time to plan its fall schedule. 

With bus routes, parental concerns, school administration deadlines and the welfare of New Canaan's smallest residents on their minds, board members will spend the next two weeks deciding which South School students will be moved, how many will be moved and where.