Thoughts on the Westport/Study discussion

Thursday evening I had a chance to be a part of a panel discussion concerning the district’s proposed plans for Westport Elementary School as part of the proposed no-tax-increase bond issue. I want to thank the Westside Neighborhood Betterment Association for hosting this meeting and all of the parents, neighbors and others who came to learn more about and discuss this proposal. I am always encouraged when parents and citizens get involved with their neighborhood schools, and I hope each person who came to the forum will continue to stay involved in the lives of school children even beyond this election.

I’d like to take this opportunity to again share with you the details of this proposal and speak to some of the concerns expressed at Thursday’s forum.

This plan would expand Westport Elementary School to accommodate students from nearby Study Middle School. Both schools have experienced a significant decline in enrollment over the past decade. Bond funds would be used to construct a new cafeteria, gymnasium and classrooms plus renovate the existing all-purpose room. Westport will become a state-of-the-art facility and source of pride for students and the neighborhood. Study, air conditioned as part of the bond proposal approved by voters in 2006, will become the new home for all the district’s alternative programs, now housed in three different buildings.

Some important facts about this plan for Westport and Study:

• Improving student achievement: Research and experience tells us that a K-8 configuration can promote academic success by fostering relationships over a period of nine academic years and by reducing the number of transitions students must make to other buildings.

• Improve the graduation rate: By relocating the district’s alternative education programs to Study, we can serve more students at risk of not graduating. Currently, Bailey Alternative High School has very limited space for students in grades 10-12 and cannot accommodate ninth grade students. Consolidating these programs at Study would also allow the district to close and possibly sell the three buildings currently housing the programs.

• Traffic: All our schools experience minor traffic inconveniences during start and dismissal times. As we develop the plan to expand the Westport campus, we will consult architects and planners to design traffic control measures which will minimize congestion on neighborhood streets.

• Safety: Some parents have expressed concern about elementary school students and middle school students being together in the hallways. As with the other K-8 schools in Springfield, at Westport the middle school and elementary school programs will operate independently. While students may share the cafeteria, gymnasium and library, the times they use them will be staggered.

• Alternative education: As for the plan at Study, I hope people will not jump to false assumptions about the students there. Kids in the district’s alternative programs are not “bad” kids, and it’s wrong to imply such stereotypes. Alternative education exists to provide an educational setting for students who are not succeeding for one reason or another in the regular school setting. These students may be teen parents or may have to work to support their family. Others may need more academic support to perform at grade level than their peers in a traditional classroom. Rather than allow these young people to fall through the cracks, we choose to provide them alternative educational opportunities designed to promote academic achievement, foster self-esteem and develop the skills required to graduate and become responsible community members. District rules governing conduct apply and are enforced among all students.

• School-park program at Westport: The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will invest $500,000 to improve the school-park program at adjacent Westport Park. Athletic fields, playground equipment, pavilion and swimming pool renovation are among the planned improvements.

While many are excited about the possibilities associated with this proposal, I understand the concerns some residents have expressed about combining Westport and Study. I hope that this offers some assurance. New and improved school facilities can serve as the foundation of the revitalization of a community. I remain confident that this plan directly benefits the students of Westport, Study and all of our students accessing alternative services.

If you have questions about this plan or any of the others included in the upcoming no-tax-increase bond proposal, do not hesitate to contact us. You may read details of all proposed bond projects here.