Change Choice policy

As the Spokane Public Schools board analyzes Policy 3152 and its effect on local schools, a major change has occurred at Wilson Elementary School. “Our Fair School,” which has no space to accommodate two full-day kindergarten classes, has now added an additional second and third grade combo-class.

Even though student numbers dropped at Roosevelt and Jefferson, Wilson found room to add an additional classroom to accommodate all the neighborhood and 20 to 30 percent of Choice students attending second and third grade. But of course! This prevents our neighborhood children from “overloading” elsewhere. This, instead of updating a faulty policy …

As the Spokane Public Schools board analyzes Policy 3152 and its effect on local schools, a major change has occurred at Wilson Elementary School. “Our Fair School,” which has no space to accommodate two full-day kindergarten classes, has now added an additional second and third grade combo-class.

Even though student numbers dropped at Roosevelt and Jefferson, Wilson found room to add an additional classroom to accommodate all the neighborhood and 20 to 30 percent of Choice students attending second and third grade. But of course! This prevents our neighborhood children from “overloading” elsewhere. This, instead of updating a faulty policy so classroom sizes are reasonable by removing Choice students when there is not sufficient room?

Really? Is this sustainable?

My first-grader said goodbye to one of his neighborhood classmates who, instead of “overloading” to Roosevelt, chose to Special Transfer to Jefferson, as the room was full.

Parents, please use your voice and push to change the policy. We need to update Policy 3152 so Choice students can be lotteried back out when neighborhood children need the slots, protecting classroom size and our schools’ integrity at the same time!

Attend a school board meeting, use your voices!

Kirsten Robinson

Spokane