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School board changes procedure

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By MICHELE SAGER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 15, 2008

NEW TAMPA - NEW TAMPA - School board members have approved a controversial boundary change despite parents' complaints that they were not informed about the plan.

However, board members did change procedure so future boundary proposals will be presented to all affected parents.

The school board approved a plan to move a group of students from Shaw Elementary to Hunter's Green Elementary and from Witter Elementary to Clark Elementary.

Several Clark parents spoke against the plan because they said they were never told about the proposal. School district leaders held a meeting for Witter and Shaw families but didn't invite Clark or Hunter's Green parents. District procedure required that only the parents at schools with the transferring students had to be notified.

Board member Jack Lamb suggested changing the procedure to notify parents at all schools affected by a boundary change and the new rule was approved by the entire board.

Several Clark parents sent letters to the district and asked for a meeting with Lamb, but not one parent spoke against the plan at Tuesday's board meeting.

Instead, Clark Principal Brenda Griffin promised the community that Clark staff and families already were planning ways to welcome the Witter students coming next school year.

Pete Edwards, a resident active in the school community, urged the board to approve the boundary change to send a message to the community about accepting all students.

Suzanne Sloss, one of the parents against the boundary plan, said she didn't attend the meeting for personal reasons. She said she and other parents have been labeled racists and snobs since speaking out.

"It's become clear that the school board doesn't care what parents have to say," Sloss said. "I knew it wasn't going to make a difference. They had made up their minds about us and this issue."

Board member April Griffin expressed concerns about the boundary but not for the same reasons as the New Tampa parents.

"This boundary is not in line with the other boundaries in the district," she said.

Griffin was worried that the distance between the University Area and the New Tampa schools would affect parent involvement since many of the affected families don't have transportation.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia noted that the New Tampa schools hold many of their school events in the University Area to accommodate those families.

Shaw teacher Angie Snow also expressed concern that students who move from Shaw and Witter will lose the support and services available at the Title I schools. Elia promised to look at those issues.

The school district will move 182 students from Witter to Clark. The plan is meant to relieve crowding at Witter next school year, when the district has to comply with class size laws.

The district will move 156 students from Shaw, also overcrowded, to Hunter's Green.

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