Focus Groups Announced for Possible School Consolidation
Please join us on the following dates and locations, to offer your input on our School Enrollment And Facilities Project. At your forum, you will be shown demographic maps of our school district, broken down into enrollment by schools, and enrollment of resident and choice students. You will be given the opportunity to vote anonymously on key issues related to school enrollment, consolidation, and priorities for the district. Meetings will be two hours.
Community Members (i.e. Clergy, Business, Civic, All Community)
March 28 3:00 – 5:00 pm ACS Building, 5810 Commerce Road
NORTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Gretchko, Roosevelt, Scotch)
March 28 7:00 – 9:00 pm Scotch Elementary, 5959 Commerce Road
SOUTH END Elementary Parents and PTO Members (Ealy, Sheiko)
March 29 7:00 – 9:00 pm Sheiko Elementary, 4500 Walnut Lake Road
Orchard Lake Middle School and Doherty Parents, and PTO Members (note DATE CHANGE)
April 9 7:00 – 9:00 pm Orchard Lake Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road
Abbott Middle School Parents and PTO Members
April 10 7:00 – 9:00 pm Abbott Middle School, 3380 Orchard Lake Road
ALL STAFF
April 24 7:00 – 9:00 pm West Bloomfield High School, 4925 Orchard Lake Road
ALL PARENTS K-12
All parents are welcome to attend ANY of the above sessions designated for elementary or middle school levels.
Please continue to check our website prior to attending meetings in case of changes in the schedule.
Christy Forhan
8:48 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
I really hope the entire WB community takes advantage of this opportunity to weigh in on the future of our schools. You don't have to have kids in school to have a vested interest in this project. The focus groups have specific names, but ANYONE can attend any of the meetings, whatever works best for you. Your time will be respected, and you will get to provide meaningful input. There is no fore-gone conclusion here. If you've ever been curious or critical or out-spoken about the West Bloomfield Schools, you need to be a part of this project. If you're happy with the quality of West Bloomfield Schools, you need to be part of this project. The finished plan will be a road-map for our district and new Superintendent. Can I stress it any other way? Please don't miss this chance to be involved. It's that important.
Louise Cantor
10:04 am on Friday, March 23, 2012
And the sky is red. These forums are about getting a premature response to closing a school building(s). Let the consultants that the district is paying do their job and then report back to the community. Trying to make the community feel like they have a voice is a waste of time. Can the board right size the district and budget? Can the district afford to get us out of this reliance on choice by closing a building(s)? Give the results, let the community weigh in once the options are presented and then let the board vote on the final plan that may or not take into account the will of the stakeholders.
Judy Herman
5:45 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Like everything else this Board does, this is another dog and pony show. More importantly, it's just another effort to pass the Board's duties on to the community so they can rationalize the outcome and avoid responsibility for the tough decision if and when it is finally made. I agree with Louise--let the paid professionals do their work, let the Board fulfill the duties they were elected to fulfill, and cease wasting time with a facade. Anyone who is familiar with this Board knows that this all perfunctory. Why should we, as community members, believe this is any different than holding community meetings to determine the qualities needed for a superinrtendent, then picking credentials obvious to anyone and ignoring the one --consensus building -- that the community truly wanted? Once again, an expensive song and dance after the band has left the building. Nothing more.