In an educational era marked by increasing numbers of parents scrambling for places in private schools while politicians argue over voucher programs to offset tuition costs, Lee Moore’s decision regarding his children could be viewed as somewhat unorthodox.
Moore took his fifth grade son Austin out of private school and enrolled both him and sister Abbey at Richardson Independent School District’s Wallace Elementary.
“I’ve been a resident of this neighborhood for 20 years,” Moore says, “but I had never paid much attention to what was happening at Wallace Elementary.”
Dissatisfied with the private school his son attended, Moore began looking at other options. What he found at Wallace impressed him.
Wallace celebrated its 40th anniversary in October, an occasion marked by several new educational programs and the opening of a new wing to house fifth and sixth graders.
“The school improvements were financed by the RISD bond project,” says Wallace Principal Teresa Gafford. “We were able to replace the portables with seven new classrooms and a computer lab.”
Additonally, two existing kindergarten classrooms were converted into one large 300-square-foot space that the two classes share. The school’s renovations also included a new library.
While Moore was impressed by the upgraded facilities at Wallace, it’s what happens inside the school doors that made the biggest impact.
“I feel that, particularly at public schools, success really depends on the level of parent participation. I was overwhelmed by the number of volunteer opportunities parents have,” he says.
Moore and his wife, Michelle, are active in various clubs and committees, including the Dad’s Club and the Environmental Committee, which is working to beautify the school. The school maintains an open door policy with parents – they are encouraged to drop by the school for any reason, at any time.
Recently, Wallace received honorable mention for the Board of Trustees Silver Cup Award for Community on Campus, an award recognizing schools that attract a high level of parental and community involvement.
Principal Gafford is happy to have the Moores at Wallace, and she says public schools are rapidly catching up with private schools in educational experience and classroom amenities.
“Our classrooms are becoming less crowded, and our computer lab and classroom workstations keep us technologically competitive,” she says. “Additionally, I believe that many parents value the diversity found in public schools.”
In a time when many people are talking about what’s wrong with public education, Moore looked no farther than his own neighborhood to find out what’s right.
“I have been converted by the great things I see going on at that school,” Moore says, “and I would encourage private school parents to take a closer look at our public schools.”
