A work session provided some help but no answers concerning attendance zones during a special meeting of the Douglas Unified School District Governing Board on Wednesday, February 25.

During the meeting the governing board reviewed enrollment statistics for each school along with zone maps.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that this was a work session and ideas were being thrown out by the administration for discussion, but by no means were they the only answers or would a decision be made at the meeting.

Present at the meeting were board members Mario Ramos, Charles Hoyack and Susan Kramer. Patricia Lopez and Ed Rivera were absent.

It was stressed during the meeting that the district needs to come up with a permanent solution.

“I would prefer consistency across the board,” Hoyack said rather than having elementary schools differ in their approach.

Superintendent Earl Pettit stated that while there may be a reduction in staffing due to any of the changes, it does not mean layoffs. “It would simply mean we hire less replacement personnel during the summer.”

The proposed changes to the attendance zones could include but are not limited to:

• 6th grade at RBMS, 7-8 at Huber (all others remain as  is) 

• Preschool at ELC, K-4 Elementary Schools, 5-6 at RBMS,  7-8 at Huber

• Preschool at ELC, K-6 at Sarah Marley, K-6 at Clawson,  K-6 at Faras, 7-8 at RBMS, K-5 at JC, K-5 at  Stevenson, 6-8 at Huber

 • OSI Implementation Plan Model Developed  this week (6 grade self-contained classrooms  within the middle schools)

Other suggestions also included setting up a pilot program at two of the schools similar to the plan voted against – PreK-3, 4-6 split between two different elementary schools.

There was a concern about treating the elementary school differently or having to make changes again in a few years.

The suggestion that seemed to garner the most attention was a self-contained sixth grade in the two middle schools.

Sixth grade would be on the same campus but separated from the 7th and 8th grades. Classes would be taught by a single instructor instead of students having to go from class to class for different subjects.

There would also be a full-time reading coach and instructional coach, and the changes would be funded fully by federal grants.

A consultant would also work with the instructors to make sure they got their reading endorsement.

The attendance zones will be further discussed at the March 3 school board meeting, but no decision is  scheduled to be made. It will not be discussed as an action item.