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Post by gatormom on Jun 3, 2008 7:52:30 GMT -5
He has Owen's numbers wrong though. Owen is not split 50/50. I believe there are more Owen West kids than Owen East kids. I think he has McC and Steck wrong as well. I do not believe 90% of McC or Steck are bused, not sure where he got his numbers.
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Post by warriorpride on Jun 3, 2008 8:01:27 GMT -5
If I were on the SB, I would struggle with splitting neighborhoods, which is what I assume the 90/10 splits would do. It also seems like it open up the can of worms that some of TG, for example, could ask for the same thing to be applied to their area.
You could then go down the slippery slope of people arguing what the definition of a walker is, in order to get into their preferred school.
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Post by eb204 on Jun 3, 2008 8:09:18 GMT -5
He has Owen's numbers wrong though. Owen is not split 50/50. I believe there are more Owen West kids than Owen East kids. I think he has McC and Steck wrong as well. I do not believe 90% of McC or Steck are bused, not sure where he got his numbers. I would almost guess that it's the other way around. I wonder too where he came up with those. If he's using what the SD has, then they are off, too.
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Post by gatormom on Jun 3, 2008 8:17:00 GMT -5
I think he has McC and Steck wrong as well. I do not believe 90% of McC or Steck are bused, not sure where he got his numbers. I would almost guess that it's the other way around. I wonder too where he came up with those. If he's using what the SD has, then they are off, too. I know we were making guesses at one point as to what percentage of students were bused from both McC and Steck to WV. I would guess Steck is closer to 20-30% and McC is closer to 40% walkers. I could be wrong. Unless Arch used the actual bus routes and they don't give a number of students on each bus. I know a lot of us were looking for those numbers back in the "how can we fit Watts into WV" days.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Jun 3, 2008 8:19:36 GMT -5
Ok - I know that this is a sensitive topic for some. I'm not trying to rabble-rouse here, just wanted to throw this topic out for discussion. What do people think about the current boundaries that have been defined for 09 when MV opens? Are there things that should be changed? Why? With an 09 SB election, will boundaries be a hot topic with the SB candidates? I really hate to go there as well. Will the third time be a charm? I doubt it. Peeling the scab off before it's healed is the picture that comes to my mind. On the other hand, I think some areas like Watts and Owen west did get the short end of the stick. But there are other areas as well that feel shafted. I wish some things could get changed. But you are right, if you fix just Watts, then Cowlishaw and Owen west feel burned and ignored again. Where does it end? I do believe though, that if new members were elected in '09 and did massive revamping, all heck would break loose. No reason other than "we don't like the boundaries of the last members." Now you have kids changing schools a few months before it opens? Yikes. If enrollment numbers didn't pan out and one school was grossly crowded compared to the others, then maybe I could see a tweak or two which, IMO, would only be fair. I don't know who determines whether boundaries should be redone. Do you have to have a legitimate reason like enrollment changes or can the SB just say, "We don't like the current ones, Kathy, see what you can do about that"? Does Kathy Birkett have the ultimate say? And isn't her committee the one that makes the proposal and recommends it to the board anyway? I don't know the SB etiquette on this situation. I just know that if we want this district healed, I can't see stirring the pot again for no legitimate reason.
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Post by doctorwho on Jun 3, 2008 8:25:17 GMT -5
I am not going to discuss the merit of what changes should or should not be made but have a concern. So we open the can of worms and change Watts, why not other areas? There are a lot of areas that would have preferred a different high school assignment for a lot of different reasons and once you start making these exceptions, it could get ugly. Our district handles these boundary things so well, sarcasm intended. According to Yahoo Maps, Watts has the exact same distance to MV as I do from my house. Now, I'm using May Watts school as the beginning address (since I don't have personal addresses) and Indian Plains HS as the ending address since we don't have an exact address yet for MVHS. I used my home address (at Village of Meadow Lakes) as a beginning address and Indian Plains as the ending address. Maybe not exactly apples and apples, but the distance in time for both was 13 min. And I've driven this from my house to MVHS and it was 12 minutes, actually, but it was at 2:30 in the PM, so not a lot of traffic congestion. In the real world during rush hour, I'm sure it will be more than that, but my point is on paper we have the same travel time, yet I personally haven't heard one person from our area gripe about the time (disappointed, maybe, but they haven't gone on ad naseum about it). I have heard numerous times that Watts is SO far. Yes, it's far, but essentially no more time than I have. Is their time more valuable than mine? I'm just getting very tired of hearing how MW has such a long drive. At first, I empathized with them, but now it's just whining. Everyone seems to have forgotten the Owen West group. Even though our commute is slightly less than the Owen East group (by 4 min. according to Yahoo Maps), we still have one of the furthest drive time. We currently have the furthest drive time to our ES in the entire district. I can count at least 6 schools that are closer off the top of my head. But no one seems to want to acknowledge that. Many want to say "poor May Watts" or "May Watts got screwed with going to MVHS", especially on the blue board, but the fact is Owen West got screwed at the ES level AND the HS level, yet no one is complaining. Even here, I'm not complaining as I will gladly drive those extra minutes or allow my children to be on the bus for that extra time instead of having the HS at BB, if it means we get a 3rd HS and 7th MS. They are currently on the bus for 25 min. now, so I don't see that being any different. Who else has a 25 min. ES bus ride? I guess we're so used to it that it doesn't bother us anymore. So when I hear that no one cares about May Watts, I have to wonder who really cares about Owen West? Sorry, it is not whining. I can tell you I have driven the route 4 separate ways, and from my house the shortest path was 7.2-7.3 miles and the average time in rush hour is 28 minutes. You are west of 59 and I am next to Naperville Central HS. The best compromise of time and safety on the commute ( no grade RR crossings) - was Eola to Mccoy to 59 to Ogden to Rickert and then through Watts to the SE side of Watts where I live. If you and anyone else wants to dispute this - send me a PM and I will gladly have you meet me at my house and we can drive the route - or else stick to your own commute. Whatever 'real' commute time you post I will believe. Please no more google maps or anything else - real time is what works - not map estimates. BTW - that same trip to WVHS has been made those same days, the shortest being 9.5 minutes --( it's only 5 stoplights from my home) - Also btw - my daughters bus for Hill picks her up at 7:25 AM ( and she is the next to last stop - and arrives at Hill at 7:53 -- that's 28 minutes by my book, and there are kids on that bus for more than 30. So Our MS commute is long also - and longer than yours. and for the record read all my posts since this started. I have been consistent that Owen west was thrown under the bus - and done so by their SB member. Many of us here knew of the Owen East - West split a week before the boundary meeting. Many people in Owen East knew and were told... so yes, I feel bad for your area. Oriiginally it was Owen East to NV but they couldn't find an MS to shoehorn them into. They split the ES and gave you a bad commute - agreed. But don't downplay what happened to us to make your case - that is wrong. I also always agreed BD got thrown under the bus the first time around and they either needed to move another Hill school to WVHS or change who goes to Hill-- what's wrong is wrong - there doesn't have to be degrees of wrong in my opinion. We replaced 2 very long area commutes today with now 4 areas going to the furthest HS from their home. By adding a 3rd HS I still believe that is wrong - logistically and financially going forward. Finally if you are OK with the new commute - fine, everyone gets to make that decision, but please do not speak for those of us who are not.
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Post by sardines on Jun 3, 2008 8:39:53 GMT -5
You know what I just realized? My kid gets on the bus in our neighborhood at 6:28 a.m. and arrives at WV at 7:05. That 's a 37 minute commute for approx. 5 miles. What are they doing ...going through the Dunkin Donuts drive thru everyday? They must have a lot more stops than some of the further commutes? I never really thought about it because he uses the time to socialize and "network" regarding last night's Bio HW HMMM....
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Post by gatormom on Jun 3, 2008 8:47:03 GMT -5
Welcome Dr. Who. I don't think EB204 is jumping up and down about the commute nor is the Gombert community happy with the boundaries. Some of us feel that building Metea is more important than what we would prefer. To me, opening the boundaries up again puts our community and more importantly our children back into that uncertainty. We so need to move on. I can just hear the conversation with my daughter, "oh they are changing boundaries again, don't know where you will end up but they should know in the next couple of months or so. That should give you a week before high school starts to prepare."
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Post by doctorwho on Jun 3, 2008 8:48:36 GMT -5
Depends on what stop one gets on the bus- I believe there are either 5 or 6 stops before mine on our bus ( so our 28 mins is one of the lower for this route) - you may be one of the first stops. That is why the 30 minute 'avg' time for Watts bothers me. I am likely 10 minutes or more past the avg' time ( per a SD admin I am likely 42- 44 minutes at best) - and that is with additional buses being assigned to this area in the plan to cut down on the number of stops per bus. What happens if we can't afford those additional buses in the future - with $5/gal gas by the end of summer this becomes very realistic. I would not blame them for cutting buses in the future - there is only so much money.
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Post by gatormom on Jun 3, 2008 8:52:38 GMT -5
Area around us (Gombert west) takes 28 minutes to get to WV and we are less than 1.5 miles from the school. Not the first stop nor the last stop. Our kids can walk to school faster.
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Post by doctorwho on Jun 3, 2008 8:54:12 GMT -5
Welcome Dr. Who. I don't think EB204 is jumping up and down about the commute nor is the Gombert community happy with the boundaries. Some of us feel that building Metea is more important than what we would prefer. To me, opening the boundaries up again puts our community and more importantly our children back into that uncertainty. We so need to move on. I can just hear the conversation with my daughter, "oh they are changing boundaries again, don't know where you will end up but they should know in the next couple of months or so. That should give you a week before high school starts to prepare." Thank you for the welcome, and now that MV is a done deal, why not make it work as best it can ? I respect your opinion, but will agree to disagree. I admit it would be hard on kids who might change again and I don't like that either, but it is also hard on the kids who will have to live the commute for 4 years also- many families having to do so multiple times. Moving on for my community equates to - 'take another one for the team at best, or sit down and shut up at worst...I find neither acceptable if there is a better plan. We already attend a MS far from our area - the 3rd closest, I think that should be acceptable for our taking one for the team -- again, my opinion which I believe I am entitled to.
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Post by wvhsparent on Jun 3, 2008 9:10:07 GMT -5
The only other boundary proposal I really wanted to see was the one arch and DrWho helped craft. Does anyone know what it was? Ask and you shall receive. Arch posted this tonight on blue: ============================ ES to MV: Brooks,662 Steck (90% non walkers),597 Young,741 Brookdale,481 Longwood,477 McCarty (90% non walkers),606 Cowlishaw/Granger (Satellite),202 Watts(Lehigh Station-Satellite),35 Total: 3801 2/3 of that is approx 2535 for MV ============================ ES to WV: Fry,871 White Eagle,579 Owen-WEST,280 Peterson,444 Watts (Non-Lehigh),503 Gombert,528 Georgetown,615 (10% walkers from Steck),66 (10% walkers from McCarty),67 Total: 3953 2/3 of that is approx 2637 for WV (Room for growth from Peterson area) ============================ ES to NV: Springbrook,667 Clow,491 Kendall,710 Patterson,745 Graham,666 Welch,833 Builta,705 Cowlishaw (non-Granger),393 Owen-EAST,281 Total: 5491 2/3 of that is approx 3663 for NV (Room for growth from Builta area) ============ See...That is a good proposal IMHO, and should have been seriously considered. How is the MS breakdown with this?
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Post by gatormom on Jun 3, 2008 9:12:44 GMT -5
I respect your opinion Dr. Who but I go back to, once you open the door to Watts, where does it stop? I just don't see how there can be any changes in boundaries now without causing a great deal more anger, more bitterness and division in this district.
I know that there are many reasons that many areas wish different boundaries. I just think to open the door even a crack would be the wrong thing at this point.
I am sorry for that, for Watts and for others. I just don't see how any exceptions can be made now without creating bigger problems.
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Post by wvhsparent on Jun 3, 2008 9:17:16 GMT -5
He has Owen's numbers wrong though. Owen is not split 50/50. I believe there are more Owen West kids than Owen East kids. I think he has McC and Steck wrong as well. I do not believe 90% of McC or Steck are bused, not sure where he got his numbers. Do we know exactly which areas feed into Steck and McCarty?
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Post by wvhsparent on Jun 3, 2008 9:21:50 GMT -5
Let's keep the driving distances out..they have been gone over more times than I care mention. They are longer than before, and it sucks. This from a parent who had to do it for 8 years with 2 kids already.
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