Currently in the midst of school construction projects on buildings that would not have been cost-effective to renovate, the School District of Cheltenham Township is considering possible grade reconfiguration and decommissioning of particular facilities.
Rumors had been circulating as the district has been struggling with its budget. A presentation was made by Superintendent Darlene Davis to the school board’s facilities committee on April 5 and some of the notes from that meeting appear on the district website: http://www.cheltenham.org/files/264121/possible%20reconfiguration%20of%20grades-buildings.pdf
Two possible options are presented there at the time of this writing. Both have in common several elements:
• Moving toward a K-5 elementary configuration from the current K-4. This also changes the current grades 5-6 at Elkins Park Middle School and the 7-8 configuration at Cedarbrook.
• Moving toward a 6th grade center at Cedarbrook Middle School, separate from the 7th and 8th grades there. New construction of a 6th grade center would be part of a Cedarbrook addition.
• Moving the central administration offices out of the current administrative building into the current Elkins Park Middle School. This would open the administration building for sale or lease.
• Moving all Wyncote Elementary students, as well as its 5th grade, out of Wyncote and into the current Elkins Park Middle School. The reasons given for this is plan include that (1) Wyncote is too small to accommodate its 5th graders and (2) it would close an extra building, for financial savings.
Two different timelines are presented for the two options, which are contemplated to start phasing in as early as the 2012-2013 school year.
Public discussion is already underway, and school board president Tina Viletto emphasizes that there’s no fait accompli and that the process will be transparent.
No doubt, cost efficiencies and considerations of best pedagogical practices for middle school have already gone into the preliminary proposals by Dr. Davis.
This commentary poses some questions and calls for clarification to help improve the information gathering and assessment for judicious decision making.
Q: What are the population trends for school district enrollments? What are the current numbers for each of the four elementary schools? What are the expected numbers for each school’s 5th grade, for the next 5 years?
Pertinent Considerations: Once upon a time, Wyncote Elementary – and the other three schools – did house K-5. Granted, for most of that time, K was half-day, which freed up some space that isn’t available now. However, if the other three elementary schools can house their 5th graders, why can’t Wyncote? Is it so much smaller than the other schools? (How many classrooms, each? How many sections of each grade, each? Are cafeteria and gym spaces limiting factors?)
Q: Is it possible to put a map showing the current elementary schools and their catchment areas on the district website?
Pertinent Considerations: If Wyncote Elementary’s students attend Elkins Park School instead, there will be three of the four elementary schools southeast of High School Road below Church Road. Is that proportionate and balanced to the district population? Wouldn’t that require additional busing and family travel from the other sides of Old York Road and Washington Lane?
Q: What are the pros and cons of redistricting, with the elementary schools staying where they are and serving as many “walkers” as possible in these current locations?
Pertinent Considerations: With energy costs expected to take an increasing slice of the district’s budget and increasing environmental concerns, could redistricting maximize benefits of “neighborhood” accessible schools.
Q: How does the Cedarbrook Middle School facility actually compare with the Elkins Park facility and campus for both 7th and 8th grades and for construction of a new 6th grade center? What conditions still need significant renovation (and/or remedial maintenance) at both schools?
Pertinent Considerations: Once upon a time, Elkins Park and Cedarbrook housed 7th and 8th grades. If the district is looking to unload a second property, in addition to the administration building, which property (a) is more expensive to maintain and (b) would have greater market value – Wyncote Elementary, Elkins Park or Cedarbrook? Cedarbrook backs onto commercial and highway land, whereas the other schools are surrounded by residences.
Q: Exactly how separate is the new 6th grade center expected to be from the 7th - 8th grade school?
Pertinent Considerations: Will there be overlap in terms of educational program, staffing, the arts, lunchroom, gym, and extracurricular activities? This would seem to need significant detailing in order to properly design new construction and determine cost efficiencies.
Q: Are larger schools in the students’ best interests?
Pertinent Considerations: New construction at three of the four elementary schools and relocation of Wyncote to Elkins Park may also raise issues of equity for Wyncote families and staff. Since Wyncote students would not benefit from new construction, perhaps maintaining a smaller school population at Wyncote (assigning more students to the other new schools, while still adding 5th grade) would help compensate for what could be perceived as orphaned treatment?
Q: If part of the idea in reducing school buildings is to eliminate/reduce one extra administrative layer, does increasing the number of students at each school appropriately accomplish that?
Pertinent Considerations: Will increasing the size of each school’s population increase the need for greater supervision, administrative work and guidance in those schools?
Change is a constant in all school districts, and restructuring typically occurs within each generation. Of course, useful questions and responses will arise during the public’s consideration of the current proposals.
Something more to think about if you are a Wyncote resident and a Cheltenham Township resident who cares about the value of our homes and property taxes:
ReplyDelete**If Glenside Elementary School absorbs the children who live in Glenside for 5th grade, will there be room for the students who live in Wyncote and now attend Glenside Elementary?
**Would all children who live in Wyncote now have to be bused to Elkins Park School, at the other side of the township, for grades K-6?
**How would the value of homes be affected by not having a "neighborhood" school?
**Would people want to buy homes in Wyncote if they know their children would have to be on a bus for long periods of time for the first 6 years of their schooling?
**Wyncote residents pay the highest per capita tax in Cheltenham Township. If our homes are devalued because of the school board's decision to bus our kids to the other side of the township, shouldn't we all get reassessed?
**Furthermore, Cheltenham Township is portraying itself as a “sustainable community.” To drop kids off and pick up for extra curricular activities, picking up for illness, picking up for early dismissal for appointments, attending meetings, etc. at Elkins Park School; more cars will be on our roads. How does adding more cars on our roads make us sustainable?
**Finally, this plan promotes more driving and less children walking and bicycling to school – how are we as adults setting an example for stewardship of our environment?