Thursday, February 14, 2008

Proposed McKinney ISD rezoning sparks debate

By Carol Miller of McKinneyNews.net

How fitting was the old saying “you could cut the tension with a knife” as parents and representatives for the MISD Board of Trustees gathered to discuss the upcoming middle school rezoning proposal. Meetings, held Monday and Wednesday evenings this week, proved to be passionate and heated. Discussion touched on travel, proximity, grandfathering of seventh/eighth graders but, mostly, on busing of students.

In the current proposed rezoning plan, most students from East McKinney will be bussed to four of the five West McKinney middle schools. The proposed zoning map, according to many parents, will add an additional 45 minutes to students’ travel schedules.

“My child already stands at the bus stop in pitch dark,” said one East McKinney resident. “And, we could easily walk to Faubion.”

Additionally, the concerns of how students will access extracurricular activities (without benefit of late busing), how parents will arrange travel for their children, and how students will handle being separated from friends all added to the heated debate of busing. So, why do it?

After discarding 11 of the 12 rezoning proposals developed with a demographer, the Board of Trustees felt this current proposal would meet the criteria necessary for all parties involved. Based on the following criteria, families and students would receive the greatest benefits:

- An increase in geographical proximity to the middle schools

- Diversity for all five middle schools

- Allowance for continued growth at Scott Johnson Middle School (the area that will most likely face the greatest growth in the near future)

- Based on past growth and future projections, no additional redistribution of middle schools for the next five years

- Faubion, Evans, Dowell and Scott Johnson all receive some relief

Many parents, however, felt they kept receiving the same explanation for their many questions – the schools need diversity. As each parent took the microphone, it was clear that diversity was not the issue. In actuality, parents preferred diversity in the schools, just not at the expense of the students’ best interests. Stated one East McKinney mother who grew up in Miami, FL., “ I went to a very socioeconomically and culturally diversified school – I appreciate that experience. People, however, tend to migrate to areas of common interest yet you are breaking them up. You tear students from their local friendships to send them across town for three years. At the end of three years you tear them away from new friends and send them back (to McKinney High School), expecting them to pick up where they left off. They may go to school in West McKinney but at the end of the day, the students all go back to their neighborhoods and commonality.

"Why are you forcing the issue of diversity?”

“Why?” seemed to be the very question that parent after parent wanted the answer to. A diligent mother who attended Monday’s meeting took it upon herself to locate and contact the actual demographer for the rezoning proposal. According to her 45-minute discussion with the demographer, she found the answer.

“According to the demographer from Austin, the criteria was provided by the Board and based heavily on distributing free lunches across the district. The free lunches,” she added, “can be directly correlated to ethnicity. According to The Supreme Court, it is illegal to zone based on ethnicity.”

Among the frustrated and concerned parents were those who offered their support for the Board. Several parents stood in support of the decision making process because they, in fact, had helped make many zoning and districting decisions in the past. Colleen Egan, a nine-year resident of McKinney and active MISD supporter, stepped to the plate in support of socioeconomic diversity.

“You can tell from our TAKS scores that socioeconomic diversity works," Egan said. "MISD tied for no. 2 in the state of Texas compared to many other area school districts… We are able to retain our high quality staff of teachers across the board.”

The MISD Board of Trustees will make their final decision on rezoning during their regular board meeting Feb. 25. Concerned residents can e-mail the MISD Board of Trustees with comments at MISDteamof8@mckinneyisd.net .

Pegasus News content partner - McKinneyNews.net

Related stories

• McKinney ISD approves new school zones (March 3, 2008)

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• McKinney ISD