WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Where your child goes to school could change

Where your child goes to school could change

By Brooke Kelley - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - The Savannah-Chatham School Board approved a new organization plan this afternoon and that means where your child goes to school could change.

We sat down with superintendent Dr. Thomas Lockamy. With this new reorganization plan, he wants to make sure no matter what school your child goes to, they have educational programs.

Heard Elementary School may not be an elementary school for much longer. Instead, it could be a school for grades forth through eighth.

"I am purposing a K-3 at Jacob G. Smith and at 4-8 at Heard Elementary School. I am purposing AP learning at Bartlett middle school," said Lockamy.

Lockamy will be asking the school board to approve a neighborhood school plan.

"There will be changes in school grade level organizations. There will be options for families," said Lockamy.

Some of the changes include making Coastal Middle School a small high school plus adding grades 6, 7 and 8 on to some elementary schools.

Other changes for the 2009-2010 school year include:

• Gadsden elementary school will have a new fine arts program
• Hesse will add 7th grade
• Shuman Middle School will have new fine arts program

Changes for the 2010-2011 school year:

• The new Godley Station school will be Pre-K through 8th grade
• Hesse elementary school will change to Pre-K through 8th grade 
• JG Smith elementary will change grades Pre-K through 3rd grade 
• Heard elementary will change to grades 4 through 8
• Spencer elementary will change to grades pre-k through 3rd grade 
• East Broad Elementary will change to grades 4th through 8th grade
• Coastal Middle school turns into a small high school on the islands
• Marshpoint and Islands elementary schools will either be middle/elementary or Pre-k through 8th grade 

Some of the changes will give students the opportunity to stay at the same school for several years.

And there are other benefits for both parents and the system.

"We are trying to reduce bus time riding for the students and get the child closest to home as we can so the family can be involved in education as they choose to be," said Lockamy.

Lockamy says the new plan could save the district around $2 million in transportation costs.

"So often we focus on one population of students and don't give support to all as we should. This model will support those students with learning challenges and also more support to those who have chosen not to invest in public education and have chosen to return back into public education. That's because they have learning environments they respect," said Lockamy.

At Heard, parents like Lilia Moriarity and Sarah Petersen are on board and ready to invest in the public school system.

"I have my children in kindergarten and first grade receiving Spanish, violin lessons in public schools and being simulated. I have a kindergartner who can read," said Moriarity.

"There's so many great things that people don't realize. It takes coming to open houses to the school and talking to the parents and see what's out there," said Petersen.

It's a new plan that will change several schools in the Chatham County School District.

Superintendent Dr. Thomas Lockamy says it's a plan he believes will work.

"Every child that has a learning challenge to the child that finds himself academically talented and ready to go well beyond," said Lockamy.

The plan includes changing Coastal Middle school into a small high school, while adding 6th, 7th, and 8th grades on to several elementary schools, and new academic programs.

But not everyone thinks this is a good idea, just after the board approved the plan. A group of very upset parents and teachers voiced their objections saying the board didn't give people enough time to comment.

"When I look at this new program. I see great diversity where there are some disadvantages, inner city schools have disadvantages and suburban school have disadvantages," said Margo Scott.

Margo Scott a teacher in the Chatham county school district for 18 years works at Shuman Middle school she says the board should have taken more time.

"I'm not saying the board members aren't true to what they are doing. I am looking at the plan that may destroy inner city schools," said Scott.

Scott says the new plan should include all schools.

"I feel that all high schools should be IB I feel all in schools have same pattern, we want them to remove academic themes and make all schools equal," said Scott.

But superintendent Lockamy says this plan isn't something the board came up with overnight. They've working on this for months and he feels this is the best for district.

"I've listened to people every weekend, I am in the faith community and I in several organizations and listening to what they want and they want neighborhoods schools and how we can challenge our children academically," said Lockamy.

Challenge the children academically is exactly what Margo Scott wants and hopes the board will reconsider these plans.

So no matter where the school is located they all have the same opportunities.

The public does have access to all the redistricting plans. You can find those are online at: http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/sccs/Board.nsf/Public?OpenFrameSet.

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