Several parents told North Allegheny School District administrators they oppose a proposal to shift pupils living in the Franklin Towne neighborhood to McKnight Elementary School.
That plan, one of three redistricting scenarios being studied by North Allegheny, drew the most comments at a meeting Wednesday night that attracted about 60 people.
Fewer than two dozen pupils who live in the Franklin Towne neighborhood would be shifted from Franklin Elementary to McKnight Elementary under that proposal, according to parent Jennifer Kirschler, who lives on Bond Street. The result would be to separate her two children from most of their friends, she said.
Parent Michael Rothrock, who lives on Ben Franklin Drive, echoed Mrs. Kirschler's remarks. While Franklin Towne children would be moved under all three redistricting scenarios being studied, the plan to move them to McKnight would isolate them from the larger group of pupils being moved from Franklin Elementary to Ingomar Elementary, he said.
The main impetus behind all three redistricting proposals is to reduce crowding at Franklin Elementary. Parent Donna Borgese, who lives on Pinehurst Court, said that problem needed to be solved this year with the school board selecting one of the plans. "The current situation is inequitable, and we won't live with it for another year," she said. Elementary school children residing on her street would be transferred from Franklin to Ingomar under all three proposals.
Parent Gary Jones, who lives on Brookshire Drive, asked whether pupils who would be in fifth grade next year -- the last year of elementary school in the North Allegheny system -- could stay in their current buildings. That is still being studied, Assistant Superintendent Frank Brettschneider said.
Administrators will consider parent comments and written remarks before they make their recommendation to the school board on March 15, Superintendent Patricia Green said. The board is scheduled to pick a redistricting plan at its March 22 meeting.
The three scenarios call for moving between 218 and 269 elementary pupils among Franklin, Ingomar and McKnight schools. No redistricting is proposed for middle schools. All three plans have been designed to avoid redistricting for at least five years.
Once a redistricting plan is picked, administrators will work with youngsters and parents to prepare for the move to new schools. "New schools, new friends, new opportunities," is the slogan for the transition effort, according to Mr. Brettschneider.
Principals will visit the schools from which their new pupils will be moved, and youngsters moving to new schools will spend a full day of orientation at their new buildings, he said. Parents also will be invited to attend day or evening orientations and tours of their children's new schools.
Details of all three plans are available at the North Allegheny Web site, www.nallegheny.k12.pa.us. Click on the words "Redistricting study 2006-2007."
First Published: February 12, 2006, 5:00 a.m.