Realignment Frequently Asked Questions

 

Transportation:

Q: My child has never used district transportation. How do you sign up to ride a bus?

A: The district is moving to new transportation software management. Forms and information about busing will be available soon. The district does assume that any enrolled student who is eligible for transportation will ride a bus.

District students are automatically enrolled in busing, and they don’t need to do anything – their busing enrollment moves with them from year to year regardless of the school building they attend. If a student has never ridden a bus, parents may call the transportation department at 937.743.8670 to get busing information, however, bus information for the coming school year is not yet available. We will continue to provide updates during the summer.

 

Q: How does busing more students save the district money, considering we always have a shortage of drivers in our current configuration?

A: We currently run 23 full-time routes with drivers. We also have 3 floater drivers. The district does not have a shortage of bus drivers. The challenges of maintaining consistent bus routes arise when drivers are absent due to illness or other reasons.

 

Q: We live outside the boundaries for busing, but it is too far for my kindergarten students to walk to school at five years old. What am I going to do?
A: The district is expanding transportation opportunities for primary students (K-2). We are currently working on new bus routes to give elementary students the opportunity to ride a school bus. Routes will be published at the beginning of August, as in previous years.

***The district transportation department is working on bus routes and information will be released during the summer as in years past.

 YMCA & SafeCare

Q: My child attends the YMCA afterschool program. Where will they go?
A: The YMCA program will continue to operate in the district. Gerke and Schenck will each have their own YMCA program that will include transportation.

Q: My children attend Hunter Safecare after school. How will that impact my family with students at different schools?
A: District transportation will continue to drop off students at Hunter SafeCare.

Reasons for Realignment

Q: We are closing Pennyroyal and Anthony Wayne. Why don’t we just move those students into the modulars and leave the rest of the buildings as they are?

A: Due to the failure of the March levy, it is necessary for the district to reduce its expenses. The only way to achieve the cost savings necessary is to reduce staff. Consolidating buildings and grouping by grade level allows us to reduce employees and create equitable educational opportunities for all students. The district has had good success with grade level buildings in the past with the 6th grade building and the Early Childhood Center.

Elementary Principals

Q: What administrators will be at which elementary building?

A: Principal assignments will be announced by the end of May. 

Curriculum

Q. Who do I contact to request a particular teacher for my child?

A. We are unable to fulfill specific teacher requests on an individual basis as we transition to grade-level buildings. We strive to create a balanced and equitable learning environment for all students and assigning teachers based on individual requests would compromise this goal.

Q: What will the class sizes be for the Elementary buildings and Intermediate modulars?

A: We're currently in the process of finalizing schedules based on enrollment numbers, so we don't have the exact class sizes just yet. This happens over the summer, as it has in previous years. Rest assured, we're committed to maintaining reasonable class sizes to ensure optimal learning environments for all students, and we'll keep you updated as soon as we have more information.

 

 

Tier II Services

Q: Will Tier II classes still be available with resource room access?

A: The district’s special education leadership team has been undergoing a year-long review of Tier II structures and supports. This was separate from what was happening regarding the district’s realignment.  These Tier II supports will still be available.  Students needing this level of support will still have access to dedicated resource classrooms for intensive academic and behavioral support.  These students will also have access to their general education classroom environment and peers.  The department is dedicated to maximizing the inclusion of all students while providing the support they need within the general education classroom and resource room environments.  New grade-level teams will review the needs of all students receiving special education services to ensure these are being met. 

Modular Classrooms for Grades 3-5

Q: Do the modulars that will house grades 3 - 5 have restrooms?

A: Yes. They have restrooms and water fountains.

 

Q: Will the students in grades 3 - 5 interact with the middle school students? 

A: No. Procedures are being developed to ensure they are kept separate.

 

Q: Will students be kept with students and teachers from their original building?

A: No, just as kindergarten classes were configured at the Hampton Bennett Early Childhood Center, students from all over the district will be in classes together.

 

Q: How are the students in grades 3-5 dropped off? Do they have to walk through the junior high building?

A: The details for busing times, drop-off locations, and other transportation issues are still being developed and will be shared in the summer.

 

Q: Are the modular campus buildings secure?

A: Students in grades 7 and 8 have been attending classes in the modular campus buildings for three years and safety procedures are well-established. When severe weather strikes such as a tornado, students are brought into the brick-and-mortar building. The district has cameras installed for added security. Buildings remain completely locked and no one can enter unless a staff member opens the door. 

 

Q: Will the modular campus housing grades 3 - 5  have a playground, its own principal, secretary, nurse, PTO, playground, book fair, Santa Shop, library, music, art, etc?

A: The modular campus will have services like those of the other elementary buildings

– Students will eat lunch in the middle school cafeteria, but their lunch period will be completely separate from the middle school students’ lunch periods.

– The building will have two administrators, a secretary, and a nurse.

– The campus has space for a library and for specials like music and art.

– Events like the Santa Shop, field day, and book fair are organized by the PTO; more information will be available when the PTO for the new building organizes. 

– A completely fenced-in playground for the modular campus will be added this summer. Part of it will be on grass and part on blacktop. The auxiliary gym at the FJHS will be for use by grades 3-5 only during the school day; they will also be able to use that gym for inside recess during inclement weather.

Building Start Times

Q: I have multiple students in the district. How can I be in multiple places at the same time to get them to school? 

A: The district will have staggered start times for all buildings. Once the board approves the start and end times, they  will be made available to the community.

 

***If you have additional questions, please submit them on the form found here.