RISD’s property at White Rock Trail
Results are in from the Richardson ISD survey regarding options to handle enrollment growth in Lake Highlands schools. Here are five takeaways:
(1) Lake Highlands, overall, prefers that RISD build (at least one) K-6 elementary school instead of pulling 5th and 6th graders out of all LH elementaries and putting them into new 5th/6th wings on the junior high campuses. About 59% of respondents favored a K-6 school option, compared to 41% preferring 5th/6th. About 68% either strongly or somewhat supported K-6, and about 50% strongly or somewhat supported 5th/6th.
(2) Fears that non-LH voters would skew results were unfounded. Of a total of 2,836 RISD residents taking time to respond, only 7.7% live outside LH.
(3) Most respondents were parents of schoolchildren. Though RISD employees, residents without children, empty-nesters and even students took time to vote, more than 70% of respondents said they have kids in school.
(4) Participation by White Rock Elementary and Moss Haven Elementary dwarfed that of other schools. Overcrowding at WRE began the discussion and resulted in RISD scaling back on bond expenditures to designate $40 million in “placeholder” funds to handle the problem, so it was no shock when WRE had the biggest number of respondents, but why the interest by Moss Haven? In a recent email, MHE PTA President Ali Stacy reminded fellow moms, “We are the smallest of the 12 elementary school s, and…taking 5th and 6th graders out of MHE would not help us at all, and might even hurt us because we would be so small at that point. Also, I was concerned about retaining families and attracting future families if we had a K-4 model in LH while the rest of the district was K-6.” MHE voters agreed, with 83% saying they strongly or somewhat disagreed with a 5th/6th model and 88% preferring K-6. At WRE, 70% preferred 5th/6th. Wallace, Lake Highlands Elementary and Merriman Park also had strong participation, preferring 5th/6th, K-6 and K-6, respectively.
(5) The respondent group most in favor of the 5th/6th solution? RISD employees (61%). Surprising, since RISD staff in the past have been against moving 6th graders out of elementary schools to adopt a middle school (6-8th grade) model. Sixth graders, they have said, perform best in elementary schools.
You can see full results of the survey and its addendum here. The board of trustees announced at a called meeting Wednesday night that they hope to make a decision by the end of Monday night’s board meeting. We’ll let you know their decision. Early voting on the 2016 bond continues until May 3rd, and Election Day is May 7th.
