Ideas to lessen student overcrowding

There has been much concern and struggling with the over-crowding within our School District boundaries.

Several years ago two new elementary schools were built in our District. One of the promoted aspects of these buildings was that they could easily be added-on to. I recently heard about and read in a local newspaper article that a large piece of land was purchased next to Sage Point Elementary School. I have also heard that a large percentage of students who attend there are bussed in to the school.

Let's look outside the box for bit and think about another approach. What about the following?

1. Bus the Sage Point students to other schools. 2. Let's double or triple the size of Sage Point Elementary since there is now room to do that. 3. Make Sage Point a 6th grade campus, thus pulling all 6th graders out of the Jr. Highs. 4. Bring the 9th graders into Chief Mo which in turn maintains proximity to the High School for extra-curricular activities. 5. Split the 7th and 8th graders between the other two Jr. High Schools.

"If" there is an over-crowding problem of 7th and 8th graders, place or integrate some of those 8th graders within Chief Mo.

By considering these changes, this would eliminate the serious over-crowding at the High School. This would also "buy time" to build a new high school (and elementary school, if necessary) and not go to year around schooling.

I understand that most of the 6th grade teachers adamantly do not want to go down to the elementary schools. This would eliminate that problem.

I've also heard that the elementary principals don't want the 6th grades back in their buildings because of potential problems. They already have too much on their plate. This concept would eliminate that problem.

If we have room to put the 6th graders back into the elementary schools, do we not have room to spread Sage Point students to elementary schools?

Let's give some thought to other ideas possibly such as these. Let's be creative! Thank you for listening to my concerns.

Diana M. Bloom

Moses Lake