Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:24:50 -0500
From: Mia Munn
Subject: school board meeting Monday 1/11
I’ve been posting agendas and reviews of school board meetings on the BBS for quite awhile, but I was asked to put that info on the Chatlist as well. Last Monday the school board had an all-day retreat, followed by a short regular board meeting. I wasn’t able to be at the retreat, but here’s what happened at the meeting.
[picappgallerysingle id=”185281″]The draft 2010/2011 calendar will be posted on the district website and at the schools until the Feb 15 board meeting, at which time the calendar will be voted on for next year. There is very little flexibility in the calendar because of state requirements. The key issue is that Easter if very late. If spring break is Good Friday through the
week after Easter, then AP exams will start the first day back, May 2. An alternative favored by staff of only 2 of the 16 schools is to have spring break the week before Easter through Easter Monday, giving the kids 4 school days before AP exams start. If you have an opinion, weigh in before Feb 15. Here is the current link (scroll down to page 2 and 3
for the 2 alternatives) http://www.chatham.k12.nc.us/board/meetings/2009-2010/01_11_10_boemtg/Agenda%20Item-Draft%20Calendar%20for%202010-11.pdf
Redistricting of Northwood feeder schools due to the new Pollard Middle. The district will be scheduling hearings in February on the OR/Ed redistricting proposals at PES (or Horton) and Moncure. Here is a summary of the suggested changes.
1. All 6-8 students from North Chatham and Perry Hrrison will move to Pollard sometime mid-year 2010/11 and those 2 schools will become k-5 schools (details of the transition plan will NOT be part of these meetings, but will be the subject of separate meetings later in the spring.)
2. Some students in the PES/Horton district will move to Moncure. This shortens bus rides and makes those districts, which currently span the middle of the county from southern border to northern border a little smaller.
3. 5th grade from Horton moves to PES, making those schools a more traditional K-5 and 6-8 (rather than the current K-4 and 5-8).
4. A small area (about 45 K-5 students) currently in North Chatham will move to Perry Harrison. This makes the population at the two schools more proportional, instead of NC still being somewhat overcrowded.These changes should reduce transportation costs and some travel times for students and equalize the school populations relative to the school capacity. (Though, this will make Horton an even smaller school than it is already.) All told, about 150 K-5 students will be affected.
Next school board meeting is Thursday February 8, 2010 at 6:30 pm at the Central Office in Pittsboro.