Boundary committee's work almost ready for review

By Brenda Rader Mross
Correspondent

The process of analyzing high school boundaries as Poudre School District moves forward with its planned grade reconfiguration wasn't at all what one local committee member expected.

Boundary steering committee member Amy Bibbey of Wellington said perhaps the biggest surprise was finalizing four scenarios ahead of schedule.

"That was refreshing," she said, "and showed how committed our members are to minimizing change. Everyone has been sensitive to people's needs and interested in hearing the voices of parents and students."

The public will have a chance to comment on the group's work during four sessions starting late this month. The plans will first be presented to the boundary review committee for discussion on Feb. 13.

The grade reconfiguration will move sixth graders to middle school and ninth graders to high school in 2009-2010, shifting PSD to a system operating with kindergarten through fifth grade elementary schools, sixth through eighth grade middle schools (or K-8 in select locations), and ninth through 12th grade high schools.

"This whole experience from the moment I walked in the door has been way different than what I expected," Bibbey said.

She was anticipating a battleground of sorts, which is why she got involved in the first place. "I thought it was important for the voice of Wellington to be heard," Bibbey said.

To say that the change, approved by a 5-2 vote of the school board last April, is controversial may be an understatement. Many parents were vehemently against moving sixth-graders up to junior high, and some wondered how the already overcrowded high schools of Poudre and Rocky Mountain could house another grade level. Still others questioned the "Why?" as the issue had been studied twice before: first in 1990-1991 when planning the new Fort Collins High School and then again in 2000-2001 prior to Fossil Ridge High School being built.

According to the PSD web site www.psdschools.org, the district's goals in restructuring the system included "increased academic and extra-curricular opportunities for students, improved curriculum alignment, and successful transitions for students between all levels."

With Wellington Junior High as a feeder school to Poudre High School, Bibbey and many area families were concerned that their students--and their community --would be split up to fill seats at under-populated FCHS or FRHS.

Bibbey said neither WJHS nor Cache La Poudre will be affected by any of the four scenarios, but Lincoln Junior High, another PHS feeder school, will see a couple of changes.

"Lincoln's population is already being split up," Bibbey noted, "with some kids being sent to high schools other than just Poudre."

Because the transformation requires a massive overhaul of the district, it will occur in phases. Boundary changes are this school year's goal, while 2008-2009 will be spent coordinating and preparing for the switch.

Bibbey said it is her committee's job to look only at high school boundaries.

Our mission," she stated, "is to balance high school enrollment by shifting boundaries and taking into consideration students' past history in junior high and elementary school."

To that end, Bibbey said, members are working to ensure the least amount of movement.

"Everyone is well aware what an emotional issue grade reconfiguration is," she said, "and has been very respectful of that."

Bibbey said the 23-member group - 18 are voting members and eight of those are parents - started with four scenarios, which developed into 20 different configurations at one point, before they were able to hone in on the four that will be presented to the public.

"The four we started with and the four we ended up with are pretty different," Bibbey said. "Input from our meetings made the difference."

A couple of the initial plans would have had Wellington students going to FCHS or FRHS, but after discussing it, Bibbey said, no one wanted to put young, inexperienced drivers on Interstate 25 during rush hour.

"People were really listening," she reported. "They also honored right away the importance of tradition and family legacy in the northern area."

David and Amy Bibbey and their three children live on the Bibbey family farm a mile west of Wellington.

Amy Bibbey is a substitute elementary school teacher in the district. She volunteers on three other PSD committees, in addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Canyon Concert Ballet Foundation and as a Girl Scout leader.

Bibbey said she was asked to serve on the Boundary Steering Committee, and called it "dynamic." She mentioned that Jay Bustos, another local PHS graduate, has been a great contributor, and co-chairs Assistant Superintendent Jim Sarchet and Fossil Ridge parent Kellie Nuber have done a fantastic job as leaders.

People need to recognize, she said, that the task of boundary changes is never really ever done due to constant fluctuations in population.

"It's important to remember that school boundaries are being continuously evaluated," she said. "The last big change was in 2004 when Fossil Ridge opened."

For the past six years, enrollment growth in the district has been flat to limited, a trend that demographers predict will continue for at least another four years. Another huge unknown is school choice. Currently, about a third of students are attending schools or programs outside their home boundary areas. Bibbey said it is the committee's intention to preserve school choice "as much as possible." The same is true, she said, for 11th and 12th graders already enrolled at their respective schools. The IB (International Baccalaureate) program at PHS will not be affected.

Following the four public meetings, the Steering Committee will consider community feedback and update the scenarios if and as needed. By the end of April, the committee will present its high school boundary recommendations to PSD Superintendent Jerry Wilson and his cabinet, who will make the final decision in May.

New boundaries will be in place by fall 2009 along with the debut of the new grade configuration.

Bibbey said while she's talked to a lot of people, only one has called her to discuss boundary issues. She is making herself available to speak to school groups and interested parties, but cautions that she is not a spokesperson for the boundary steering committee.