Letter: District urged to reconsider school moving plans
To whom it may concern,
– In speaking to fellow parents, they’ve received the information that the school board did not really receive any e-mails against this move of Georgia Brown to Lewis, so I felt the need to make sure that I speak for our families and teachers.
This is absurd. You are about to displace families, children and teachers with a two week decision. You did not get the word out. I wouldn’t be surprised if many parents still don’t know that in less than six months, Paso is telling them that their kids have to move to a different school across town. The reason the backlash isn’t heavier at this moment is because of the back door way this decision was made.
My wife went to Lewis recently for our kids’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) where teachers were crying. Many teachers are actually making the decision to leave the district. We cannot afford to lose good teachers. Many parents I spoke with are also planning on leaving the school district or opting for other methods of education.
I personally have a son at Lewis who has an IEP. Flamson is not a good fit for him. We planned his education to make sure the schools he attended lead to Lewis. People move to make sure their kids are in the right location for Lewis. You have uprooted all of that.
Georgia Brown parents have chosen to commute this whole time. That was their choice. You should not force that choice on the rest of us. The portables were specifically created to move Georgia Brown into after Speck moved back into their remodeled school. That was always going to be the plan. Taking over an already populated school should never have been on the table. The message you are sending to Paso’s families, teachers and children is that one school is being prioritized over others. It is an ugly, messy message.
If this ridiculous decision to move actually materializes, there should be some thoughts for the current students are Lewis. Spots should be made available for those that want to stay close to home or those that don’t have transportation. That’s why we live in a small town. So that we can have our kids go to school in the neighborhood they live in. Many parents chose not to go to Georgia Brown because of the transportation issue. Those who want to move to Flamson can.
Bottom line: The temporary school site that was literally built specifically for this exact reason needs to be actually used. The portables buy the district a few years to look at new buildings, retrofit old buildings, come up with a viable plan and talk to parents about this decision. Nothing should change that. Not an anomaly. Not the percentage of Georgia Brown parents with social pull. Nothing! At no point is displacing a whole school ok. I’m not sure why, with board members who are parents themselves, that this would have ever been on the table. I hope that this email does not get ignored and the board becomes aware of the mistake that is being made. The negative impact to our beautiful small town is not worth it.
Please reconsider,
Thank you,
Ricky Bastas
Paso Robles
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