School regrouping passes
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 19, 2016 1:45 AM
The school regrouping plan designed to improve performance and scores at schools in the central attendance area was approved Friday morning by the Wayne County Board of Education. It will take effect with the 2016-2017 school year.
The board voted 5-1 in favor of the plan. Board member Rick Pridgen was the dissenting vote. Board member Dwight Cannon, who pastors a church in New Jersey, was absent.
The special called meeting came less than 12 hours after a community meeting was held Thursday night at Goldsboro High School, allowing the public to ask questions and weigh in on the proposed plan.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore and four of the seven members were on the panel for that meeting. Arnold Flowers, Jennifer Strickland and Cannon did not attend.
The plan calls for K-2 students from Carver Heights and School Street elementary schools to be transferred to North Drive Elementary. All students in grades 3-5, from North Drive, School Street and Dillard Middle, will become housed at Carver Heights Elementary. North Drive will become a K-2 school and Dillard's reconfiguration will be grades 6-8.
School Street will be repurposed to expand Pre-K services, with the development of an early learning center on that campus.
At Friday's session, Mrs. Strickland made the motion to accept the regrouping plan, seconded by Eddie Radford.
Board member Rick Pridgen asked to make a comment.
"I listened to a lot of concerns that folks had last night (Thursday)," he said. "There's so much of this plan that I like, but I feel like another year would be in order to better prepare.
"There were a lot of concerns about transportation issues, to answer those questions from parents. What I really heard, and I really did some deep thinking, I really like the idea of the (grades) 3 to 5 at Carver (Heights) and what that can offer."
Pridgen said he paid attention to the passionate sentiments expressed by parents Thursday night, especially those at Carver Heights wanting to have a Pre-K to second grade program at their school.
"I represent a lot of people from the inner city," he said. "I may not always vote the way that I feel like I ought to, but I feel like I need to represent those people."
Board member Pat Burden was concerned about delaying the plan for a year.
"I would hope that by the middle of July that we would have our bus schedules together and that would give us an opportunity that, if we needed to, we could step back," she said. "My concern is that if we, for a year, continue to do what we're doing we are denying kids the opportunity to have their educational experience enhanced."
She said the board could always come back and meet with parents again to address issues of concern, but that would be a moot point if they did not approve the plan.
"If we see in July, because we haven't moved anybody yet, if we see in July that we cannot address the transportation issues, and I really don't see why that would be a concern because we have to move these kids every day anyway, no matter what school they're going to," she said. "But if there would be some problems we could, by July, have another meeting with parents and present this information to them.
"That would allow us at that time to say, we need to step back."
Radford said he had been impressed at the community meeting by the way Carol Artis, director of elementary education, and Dr. David Lewis, assistant superintendent for accountability/information technology services, presented the restructuring plan and fielded questions positively.
Citing the old saying, "If you keep doing what you're doing, over and over, you're going to get the same results," Radford pointed out that the board wants all students to get the best possible education and go on to succeed.
He praised Dr. Dunsmore and his staff for the time and thought that went into the plan, saying that there is still work to be done toward giving students every possible opportunity.
About a dozen people from the previous night's audience showed up for Friday morning's meeting, leaving soon after the vote was taken. There was no public comment segment in the latter meeting.
When board comments were made, Ms. Burden, Mrs. Strickland and Radford made no remarks.
Pridgen said he felt the school regrouping plan could have been tweaked a bit more before it was put to a vote.
"I really liked the idea at Carver Heights that I heard from the community last night, (wanting) to keep second grade at their school," he said. "That's part of the reason why I made the decision I made."
Flowers said as a businessman, in the six years he has been on the board, he has always deferred to those with more educational background, such as Ms. Burden and Radford. He also placed his trust in the superintendent and leadership team.
"This is the recommendation coming down from them," he said. "I support it because it's my understanding that the majority of these schools are not at grade level and it's been like that.
"So as far as liking the plan or disliking the plan, it seems like a new plan is in order. That's the reason I support it."
West expressed appreciation to the public who attended the community session with the hope that their questions were answered and to the superintendent and leadership team for their diligence and hard work. Then he led a charge for the community -- parents, grandparents, relatives and school employees -- to rally behind the plan.
"We can make it work," he said. "Obviously what we have in place is not getting the job done so we have to make a move. We had to make a change for the students, to give each and every one of them the same equal opportunity to learn and be successful in life.
"I hope that as a parent, I would be excited to know that we're moving in a different direction."
He also requested that there be a follow-up meeting later in the summer, before the school year starts, to provide an update for the public.
"We'll have another meeting, I guess we could hold it at Goldsboro High School, and invite those that are affected by the change to come and give them the information on school times, transportation, etc., any other questions they may have to make the transition easier," he said.
Dunsmore said he was encouraged by the turnout at the community meeting and hopes to see that continue.
"I truly want the input from the community, the parents and everyone involved," he said. "And as we get our plans together, we will schedule as many meetings as it takes to convey what the rollout of that will be."