SchoolMatters Blog

Research on southern feeder pattern schools available for review

At a work session this week, Superintendent Pam Moran will make her recommendation to the Albemarle County School Board regarding the long range plan for three elementary schools in our southern feeder pattern (Yancey, Scottsville, and Red Hill).  At the meeting, she will walk the board and the community through the extensive research she has reviewed to support her recommendation.  That material is available here.

After this work session, the School Board will hold a public hearing next week and then we are anticipating making a final decision next month.

• 9/29 – Public Hearing on the Small Schools held at 7 p.m. in Monticello High School auditorium.
• 10/22 – School Board makes decision regarding Yancey, Red Hill and Scottsville elementary schools.

Below is the text of Dr. Moran's open letter to the community regarding this topic.

Brian Wheeler

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Friday, September 18, 2009

Dear Albemarle County Public Schools Parents and Community Members:

Our children are our future. Parents and community members consistently rank education as the number one priority in Albemarle County. We know the importance of a good education and I know you believe, as I do, that we must make the right choices to prepare our children for the world they will inherit from us. These choices are never easy. Daily you make decisions about resources, time, money, and priorities, keeping the best interest of your children in mind, but balancing what is possible with what is practical. In family decisions, you must consider a child’s individual needs and wants, but work within your family’s budgetary constraints. These are the same decisions facing our community as a whole as we search for the best answer for our small elementary schools in the Southern Feeder Pattern.

Today, I am sharing with you more information regarding Red Hill, Scottsville and Yancey Elementary Schools. During the Board’s September 24, 2009 work session, I will present an analysis of this information and what I believe is the best recommendation to address the needs of our community’s young people, now and into the future. I am making this information public so that you will know what I know, and you will be able to see the scope and complexity of the diverse issues that must be taken into account with a decision of this magnitude; a decision that the School Board will ultimately make after their deliberation. In my final review this week, I am considering several broad categories of information including:

• children’s learning needs and their access to quality educational programs and services,
• costs and appropriateness of facilities in the short and long-term,
• building and construction costs,
• annual operational costs,
• feedback from our school staff, parents and community members,
• environmental impact, and
• the ability to implement my recommendation.

Staff has also reviewed information used by the Southern Feeder Pattern Study Team and Long-range Planning Advisory Committee in their deliberations earlier this year. I directed staff to verify and update this information based on the Division’s current data. New information items include an independent review of small school research, site analyses, as well as data collected in response to issues raised by parents and community members.

I appreciate your involvement in this work and the value you place on our children’s education. I hope you can see from the range of data we are making available that staff has taken great pains to explore all possibilities. Together, we must balance what is possible and what is practical, and incorporate our unique and admirable traditions and histories with our vision for tomorrow, when our children will take our places as leaders and decision-makers.

Sincerely,

Pamela Moran
Superintendent of Schools

Albemarle's enrollment sees biggest jump in a decade

Enrollment in Albemarle County Public Schools has increased by about 200 students over the 2008-09 school year.  This is the biggest increase in the past decade and is much more similar to the enrollment trend we experienced in late 1990s.

At our September 10, 2009 meeting, the Albemarle County School Board received an update on our 2009-2010 enrollment data.  This is preliminary data* based on the 10th day of classes (see chart at right, click to enlarge). 

Monticello High School is almost 70 students over its projection and staff told us that 1/3 of that jump can be attributed to private school and home school student transfers.  That certainly leads me to believe the economic situation is having an impact on parent choices.  A private school administrator confirmed to me last weekend that their high school enrollment had dropped significantly. I also think the reputation and performance of our public schools is making them a school of choice for the community.

Last week's 10-day enrollment: 12,733.5 students as of September 8, 2009
This year's projected enrollment: 12,543 students in 2009-10 [used in budget]
Last year's actual enrollment: 12,531 students in 2008-09

In past posts about enrollment data, [see Dec 2007, Nov 2006, Oct 2006, & Dec 2005 featuring the "cone of probability," and yes we did end up inside the cone at 2009] I have discussed some of the challenges in making long term predictions on student enrollment.  This chart (at right, click to enlarge) is an update on the three most recent 5-year projections compared to actual enrollment.

What will happen as the economy improves?  What will happen with the expansion of jobs at the National Ground Intelligence Center defense facility?  Stay tuned...

Brian Wheeler

*Note: Our budget process uses September 30th enrollment data, so this information is expected to change in the next several weeks.

iPods, cameras replacing pen, paper

The morning after our schools were featured on ABC World News, Brandon Shulleeta has a nice story in today's Daily Progress that covers Albemarle County's classroom technology projects in detail... Brian Wheeler

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9/14/09 * Daily Progress [full story]

Students are playing math games on iPod touches and reading electronic books instead of hard copies. Teachers are being recorded on cameras. And principals are attending conferences without leaving their offices.

Albemarle County schools are using new technology this year in an effort to better interest and excite students.

“We’ve watched many videos where the instructor’s not engaging,” said Luvelle Brown, the school division’s chief information officer. “The students didn’t have a clue what was going on.”

School division leaders are recording teachers and posting the videos on an internal Web site this year, which they hope will encourage discussions about what teachers are doing right and wrong.

ABC World News visits Monticello High School

It was great to see Albemarle County Public Schools featured on ABC World News tonight.  Mae Craddock's classroom (English - Monticello High School) was highlighted for her pilot project using Apple's iPod touch to replace traditional hard copy textbooks. 

The students certainly looked very engaged and Ms. Craddock and our technology team deserve a lot of credit for their innovations.

Brian Wheeler

School Board meeting to tour five elementary schools

The Albemarle County School Board has scheduled a tour of five elementary schools as part of our process to collect information related to the upcoming decision regarding the future of Yancey, Scottsville, and Red Hill Elementary Schools.

The final schedule will be advertised as a public meeting and appropriate accommodations will be made to allow the public and media to participate.  There will be no public business conducted when the School Board is in transit between schools.

Brian Wheeler

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Southern Feeder Pattern School Visits

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

8:30 – 9:00 * Breakfast available in the School Board Conference Room
9:00 * Depart County Office Building for Scottsville Elementary School
9:30 – 10:15 * Arrive at Scottsville Elementary and take tour
10:15 * Depart Scottsville Elementary School for Yancey Elementary School
10:30 – 11:15 * Arrive at Yancey Elementary School and take tour
11:15 * Depart Yancey Elementary School for Red Hill
11:15 – 12:30 * Arrive at Red Hill Elementary School and take tour
12:30 * Depart Red Hill Elementary School for Brownsville Elementary School/Lunch on bus as traveling to Brownsville
1:00 – 1:45 * Arrive at Brownsville Elementary School and take tour
1:45 * Depart Brownsville Elementary School for Baker-Butler Elementary School
2:15 – 3:00 * Arrive at Baker-Butler Elementary School and take tour   
3:15 * Depart Baker-Butler Elementary School for County Office Building
3:30 * Arrive at Albemarle County Office Building