BOARD UPDATE: Students Use Slam Poetry to Slam Inequality While Board Members Vote For More Unequal High Schools
May 11, 2016
Starting off the School Board meeting, students used slam poetry to bring attention to racial and gender inequalities. Later on school board members slammed each other over boundary issues.
The new secondary boundaries that were passed have estimated FRL numbers of 22% at Liberty, 41% at City, and 41% at West according to Superintendent Steve Murley (corrected on May 12th). The old plan that had favored equity over geography had City at 37%, West at 37% and Liberty at 30%.
The heated debate began when the board reopened discussion on secondary boundaries. They voted and approved the decision for Alexander Elementary students to choose between South East Junior High or Northwest, but the students must still attend West High. They also approved Kirkwood Elementary students going to West High, instead of Liberty. Students from Lincoln will also now attend Liberty, except if they live in Manville Heights, who will attend City High.
The new Hoover elementary zone will include students from Lemme, Lucas, and Longfellow.
The board ended the meeting by debating putting boundary discussions on the next agenda, but concluded that they will have a closed work session to discuss future boundary decisions.