What's done is done, but the story of this school is a bit more complex.
-This was a relatively small school- about 1/2 the size of and with more grades than other elementary and primary schools in the county
-The school is quite old and there is no room for expansion
-It was a "school of choice" which meant nobody was assigned to attend there. There was a waiting list and the general consensus is that admissions were selective regardless of what official policy was.
-Although located in the middle of a historically black community (Taylortown)the student body was at least 95% white and very much not from Taylortown
-Although located in an area where 30% to more than 50% of children in other nearby schools are on free or reduced lunch, less than 10% at AHES were in this category.
-This was a year-round school. When faced with the closing, parents refused to send their children to an existing year round program in a higher poverty school a couple of miles away and instead convinced the school board to start a year round program at the schools in the 95%+ white and 98% above the poverty level Village of Pinehurst.
Academy Heights was basically an exclusive private school that was publicly funded. If anything, this school is what we might expect if we start handing out vouchers. No doubt it was a good place for those lucky enough to be there, but what about all the other children left behind?
Of course, the Legislature is full of crap with how they are handling education, but Academy Heights was a unique situation.
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Comments
Unfortunately, there will be a lot of stories
like this one. And they all need to be told.
There's more to the story of this school
What's done is done, but the story of this school is a bit more complex.
-This was a relatively small school- about 1/2 the size of and with more grades than other elementary and primary schools in the county
-The school is quite old and there is no room for expansion
-It was a "school of choice" which meant nobody was assigned to attend there. There was a waiting list and the general consensus is that admissions were selective regardless of what official policy was.
-Although located in the middle of a historically black community (Taylortown)the student body was at least 95% white and very much not from Taylortown
-Although located in an area where 30% to more than 50% of children in other nearby schools are on free or reduced lunch, less than 10% at AHES were in this category.
-This was a year-round school. When faced with the closing, parents refused to send their children to an existing year round program in a higher poverty school a couple of miles away and instead convinced the school board to start a year round program at the schools in the 95%+ white and 98% above the poverty level Village of Pinehurst.
Academy Heights was basically an exclusive private school that was publicly funded. If anything, this school is what we might expect if we start handing out vouchers. No doubt it was a good place for those lucky enough to be there, but what about all the other children left behind?
Of course, the Legislature is full of crap with how they are handling education, but Academy Heights was a unique situation.