October 30, 2007

The Montgomery County School Board met on the above date at Eastern Montgomery High School at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of a public hearing on the Elliston elementary school project.

Board Members Present

Penny J. Franklin, Chair W. Wat Hopkins

Phyllis T. Albritton B. Wendell Jones

Jamie M. Bond Susan K. Morikawa

David G. Dunkenberger, II

Staff Members Present

Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent

Daniel A. Berenato Anita P. Johnston

Harvey C. Goodwin Walter L. Shannon

Lois T. Graham Nelson Simpkins

Call to Order

Ms. Franklin called the meeting to order with the pledge of allegiance to the flag at 7:00 p.m.

Adoption of Agenda

On motion by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the agenda as presented.

Lois Graham, Director of Elementary Education, and Dan Berenato, Director of Facilities, provided School Board members and community members with information related to the consolidation of schools.

Public Hearing

Amy Shea, an Elliston Lafayette Elementary School (ELES) parent, Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) treasurer, and substitute teacher, urged the Board to maintain ELES as a small school. Ms. Shea questioned some of the figures presented by Mr. Berenato with regard to student numbers and costs per pupil. She said school consolidation produces less fiscal benefit and greater fiscal and academic costs in the long run with increased transportation costs, decreased achievement, etc. Ms. Shea commended Principal Denise Boyle for her work in building a strong community school that is achieving successfully. She urged the Board to allow ELES to continue to be a model for how small schools can work instead of bowing to the tired idea that bigger is better. Ms. Shea also presented Board members with an anti-consolidation petition.

Julie Griffin, a fourth grade teacher at ELES, expressed concerns from the faculty at ELES about the possible loss of a principal and other staff positions if the two elementary schools are combined. Ms. Griffin said many of the teachers at ELES make sacrifices by traveling long distances to work at ELES. She noted that staff members might not feel as inclined to make these sacrifices if the schools are combined and the principal is displaced. Ms. Griffin read a letter in support of Ms. Boyle.

Gary Creed, District C Board of Supervisors member, urged School Board members to combine the elementary schools to save an estimated $300,000 per year in operating costs. Mr. Creed stated that lower test scores at Shawsville Elementary School (SES) may be attributed to the open design concept at the school. He said the community needs to think about doing what’s best for all students in eastern Montgomery County.

Sheila Herndon, the preschool teacher at ELES, asked why the School Board has not talked about consolidating Belview Elementary School and Price’s Fork Elementary School (PFES) in discussions about a new school near the Price’s Fork area. Ms. Herndon also inquired about a poll of citizens mentioned at the ELES school meeting attended by Mr. Dunkenberger. She said no one in the Elliston area remembers being polled about consolidation.

Becky Partin, administrative assistant at ELES, said she is concerned about the elimination of her job if the schools are combined. Mrs. Partin relayed concerns she has about her daughter’s school, Auburn Elementary School. She said Auburn Elementary School is a large combined school, and the large school creates issues for her daughter in making friends year after year. Mrs. Partin stated that she knows every student’s name at ELES and every parent’s name. She said she has a strong, personal relationship with students and doesn’t want to see students fall between the cracks if the two schools are combined.

Ray Epperly, a concerned citizen, expressed concern about the money that’s being wasted in the county. Mr. Epperly referenced the money being wasted by allowing the old Shawsville Middle School building to sit empty. He told Board members that there is no sense in having two elementary schools in such close proximity to each other. Mr. Epperly said it’s much more economical to operate a single building. He also urged Board members to sell vacant school buildings in the county.

Sue Schulz, a fourth grade teacher at ELES, cautioned the Board about consolidating the schools in the area. Mrs. Schulz told Board members that Auburn Elementary School is bursting at the seams after being consolidated only a few short years ago. She said this is not an Elliston issue or a Shawsville issue. It’s an issue of what’s best for all students in the community, and small schools are best for students. Mrs. Schulz noted that Christiansburg Primary School and Harding Avenue Elementary School are open design schools, and they don’t have lower test scores as a result of the open school design.

Dawn Irwin, a Shawsville Elementary School (SES) parent, urged Board members not to lose focus by dwelling on issues such as who will be the principal at a combined elementary school. Ms. Irwin said Shawsville parents are concerned about the things that a new school will have that students at Shawsville will not have. She told Board members that she is in favor of combining the two elementary schools to provide all students in Elliston and Shawsville with a new school.

Kim Smith, a SES parent, noted that there are a lot of admirable reasons to keep the two elementary schools in eastern Montgomery County separate. However, she believes a community is what the residents in the area make it. Ms. Smith noted that the students from both elementary schools are already participating in 4-H, sports, church, etc. together and the schools should be combined.

Richard Mahone, a SES parent, told Board members that both elementary schools in the area are substandard and need to be replaced. Mr. Mahone said he supports combining the elementary schools because the pupil/teacher ratios will remain the same, and all children in the area need a new school. Mr. Mahone expressed that he would hope by combining the two schools, the education and knowledge of the teachers would help all students successfully achieve and increase test scores.

Jane Barnett, a resident of Elliston, informed Board members that the School Board has a pattern of building new schools and leaving old school buildings vacant. Ms. Barnett said if the two elementary schools are combined, there will be three vacant school buildings in the eastern Montgomery County area alone. She noted that both her daughters attended Shawsville Elementary School and had no problem achieving in the open school environment. Ms. Barnett told Board members that the parents and community in Elliston have waited for a new school for years and deserve their own school. She stated that combining schools does not conform to the village plan and would create transportation and other problems for students.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:22 p.m. on motion by Dr. Hopkins, seconded by Mr. Dunkenberger, and passed unanimously.

School Board Chair Clerk of the School Board