St. Charles Parents Tell Board Elementary School Proposal Coming Too Quickly; Organize to Get Questions Answered

Things are moving too fast.

That was one of the messages parents from the Davis and school neighborhoods had for the district administration and school board Monday night.

Parents filled the Thompson Middle School library—a location chosen in anticipation of the large crowd—and a small contingent addressed the district during public comments of regularly scheduled board meeting Monday, asking for more time to get questions answered.

Last week, district officials to rearrange students in Davis and Richmond into one school for pre-kindergarten through second grades and another for third through fifth grades for the 2011-12 school year. The school for younger students would have an increased emphasis on literacy while the older students would have 40 more minutes a day devoted to additional foreign language and science instruction.

“There are too many unanswered questions because of the speed and, quite frankly, there is a lack of trust,” said parent John Clarke, a 26-year resident of the Davis neighborhood.

A growing body of parents, almost 200 of whom belong to a Facebook group called “D303 – Think it Through,” have organized in an effort to get more information and clarify what might happen.

About three dozen parents had met Sunday to discuss some of the outstanding questions they have about the proposal.

One parent, Scott Meyers, suggested that the board might be moving “too quickly in an uncertain situation.”

Many questions had been emailed to school board members, including President Scott Nowling, who read off a list that he said the community would like answered going forward.

District Superintendent Donald Schlomann said that the community has indicated that they feel rushed.

The next opportunity for parents to hear more details will come Feb. 28, where the school board will have some of its own questions answered at a board committee meeting.

Officials also have proposed adding an extended public comment session to another committee meeting in early March.

In presentations last week, Schlomann talked about the board being able to vote on the proposal on March 14 at the earliest. However, he indicated that it was reasonable for the administration to know how to proceed by April.