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By MARK GUYDISH markg@leader.net
Tuesday, March 04, 2003 Page: 3A
DALLAS TWP. – Under a new proposal, Dallas School Districts two elementary
buildings – currently each housing kindergarten through fifth grade – would be
split into kindergarten-through-third and fourth-through-fifth.
The plan also calls for a new 10-room wing – at an estimated cost of
$800,000 – if the state mandates full-day kindergarten.
Stressing repeatedly that the plan is only a suggestion at this point,
Superintendent Gilbert Griffiths and Assistant Superintendent Michael Speziale
detailed the reconfiguration to a crowd of about 50 people during a work
session Monday night.
Griffiths noted district enrollment has been increasing, and that the trend
is expected to continue, with six new housing developments in the works. The
two existing buildings – Dallas and Wycallis – are out of room.
A task force formed reviewed five options. The best, Speziale said, puts
children through third grade into Dallas Elementary, with the rest in
Wycallis.
The current configuration is costing the district money and lost
opportunities, Speziale said, because the schools duplicate some services for
teachers, and some grants were available but could not be taken because there
wasn’t enough space at both schools to implement new programs.
Several parents voiced concerns about the affect of shifting young students
from one building to the other – especially since some were moved at the start
of this year when enrollment swelled unexpectedly.
Speziale admitted that, if the plan is adopted, there would be a difficult
initial transition, but it would be unavoidable and the district would try to
find ways to make it easier for kids. He said no action is planned until
parents and school faculty get a chance to give input.
The reconfiguration itself wouldn’t provide much more room. It would
actually be the first of three phases, with the new kindergarten wing the
second, freeing up room at Dallas Elementary. Wycallis would be expanded by
converting most of the administration space into classrooms.
“I don’t know where we’ll go,” Speziale said. “There is talk of
refurbishing a bus and taking administration on the road.”
Some specialty rooms, like a computer lab and guidance office, could be
moved into a library to make room, he added.
For most board members it was the first time they heard the report, and
they gave it a cool reception, agreeing with parents that more research had to
be done.
Griffiths told the audience that the plan is relatively short-term, because
federal and state officials have implemented numerous sweeping changes in
education law – with more promised.
That, coupled with the district’s booming development means “after five
years, all bets are off,” Griffiths said.
During the presentation Speziale noted that the district just received
results from the latest state standardized writing tests. He stressed it was
too early to give accurate numbers, but rough calculations show the
sixth-graders increased their average scores by about 60 points. Ninth-graders
scored well above the state average.
Before the presentation, the board voted to issue a new bond worth a little
more than $5 million. Almost all of the money will go to refinance two 1998
bonds that totaled about $7.5 million, Griffiths said, saving the district
about $80,000 a year in debt payments thanks to lower interest rates.
Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161.