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The School Board wants to know what to offer at three new schools. It hasn't heard from many parents.
By KELLY RYAN GILMER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 13, 2002
When the Pinellas School Board decides next month what special programs to offer at three new St. Petersburg schools, the public's preferences will be unclear.
A focus group at Perkins Elementary School last week drew nine people. A meeting at Northwest Elementary drew six.
The subcommittee of an advisory group, five people, followed up this week with a recommendation that one elementary school offer an International Baccalaureate program; another offer a science and technology focus; and a new middle school become a science, technology and math career academy.
But whether there is broad public support for those suggestions, or any others, remains a mystery. Some board members said Tuesday they aren't happy that the district only sought feedback from PTAs and school advisory councils.
"We haven't gotten enough community input," said board member Linda Lerner. "We need to do more."
Board member Max Gessner -- who envisioned the district reaching out to churches, community centers, business owners, students and parents -- said: "If you just ask the PTA and the SAC, we get those opinions all the time." The small turnout at the focus groups highlights what could be the school district's biggest hurdle when it switches from neighborhood zoning to parental choice next year: If the district can't get active parents involved, how will the district get inactive parents involved?
"I wish that there wasn't such a disconnect between the city and the county school district," said Cathy Wilson, a neighborhood leader and mother of two young children. "Pinellas County schools have been an entity unto themselves that they don't really think anybody can help them but them."
Jim Madden, the district official coordinating the new student assignment plan, said the district will have to find more ways for the public to participate in the coming choice plan. "We're going to have to make a real concerted effort to let people know what their role is during the choice process," he said.
The district is building the new schools as part of a settlement with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which sued the district in 1964 for discriminating against African-American students. As ratios ease and eventually go away, the schools offer a new opportunity for African-American children to go to school closer to home.
Beginning in fall 2003, the district will end its system of assigning students to school based on their home address. The district is divided into areas, and students will apply to attend their top choices. Schools are supposed to offer special programs to attract families.
The new Sanderlin Elementary School on 22nd Avenue S has been proposed as an Early Years IB program. The as-yet unnamed 11th Avenue S elementary may offer a math and engineering program. And the new Thurgood Marshall Middle School has been proposed as a fundamental school.
A survey last year attempted to sort out what parents will want. But only half the district's families returned the surveys.
Why did the district only look to established parent groups for its focus groups? Madden said the district wanted to hear from parents who would have filled out the survey. PTA and SAC leaders called more than 30 elementary and middle schools in southern Pinellas.
They didn't call Iveta Martin Berry, who would have liked to have been there.
"This is what has happened all along," said Berry, a neighborhood activist. "Let them invite the everyday parent."
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, who campaigned on supporting the city's public schools, also wants to be heard. His government liaison said she didn't know about the focus groups.
"What we want is for those schools to be responsive to the community," said Helen Levine, a policy adviser in Baker's administration.
Based on the feedback from the 15 people who attended the focus groups, it would be impossible to please everyone.
Some liked fundamental schools, some didn't. A couple of people didn't want an International Baccalaureate program in an elementary school. Some supported more arts programs. Others wondered why the school district won't open some regular schools where kids can explore lots of subjects.
The District Monitoring and Advisory Committee, a group of residents who make sure the district complies with the court order, will consider recommendations from its subcommittee.
The subcommittee members support the primary IB program at Sanderlin, but said the district must do a better job of marketing it as a humanities program that is not as intense as the high school version. They said the 11th Avenue S school should have a science and technology focus.
Their middle school recommendation is likely to stir the most debate. They said the district should forgo a fundamental program and instead build a science, technology and math career academy. DMAC will discuss the issue Feb. 28, and make a recommendation to the School Board.