PHOTO COURTESY OF USD259.ORG
The boundary change will include the opening of a new high school in the northeast part of the city, a northeast and southeast K-8 school. As well as the opening of Ortis Elementary, South Elementary and Lewis Elementary.
The closing of Bryant Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary and Mueller Elementary.
Some Heights students will be moved to the Southeast district while some Southeast students will be merged to East.
Some Heights assigned students will be moved to North. Some North students will move to West and some West and East students to South.
adjusting to
Change Along with the bond issue comes lots of boundary changes. If the proposal is passed, students in the city must adjust accordingly. Over the course of the last couple months, the closing of schools and re-drawings of district boundaries have been discussed and heavily considered by district officials and the community. But as students head into the 20122013 school year, what does it mean for them? “The district had had a consultant company to look at populations in different areas,” said Angela Brown, assistant principal. “Some students that are assigned to the Southeast district go to the IB program and Northeast Magnet depending on how close they are. [The changes] will help open the new schools and to address the overcrowding [of South, Southeast, Heights, Southeast, East and West].” Will children be bussed to new schools? Will their schools even exist next year? Some students will be heavily affected by the changes. “I was going back to Northeast Magnet next year,” said Ben McAdam, jr. “But now I have to stay at Southeast because they moved
Northeast Magnet to Bellaire.” However, as negotiations stand now, students between the intersections of Oliver, Kellogg and 29th Street North are subject to be affected. Heights would be merged into the Southeast district and some Southeast students would be moved to East pending a passing of the proposal. Additionally, other Heights assigned students would be reallocated to North, North to West, and West and East to South. Currently, nothing is set in stone which children of each school would be affected. “Parents are starting to engage and are standing up,” said Valerie Philips, Assistant Principal. “[Because of their concerns], nothing is final.” Students attending these schools and living within the Kellogg, Washington, 29th and Oliver boundary would be subject to being af-
SEE BOUNDARIES ON PAGE 18
Market grants money
Walmart Neighborhood Marketplace generously donated $5000 to different organizations within the school causing students to wonder what is going to happen with that money. On Nov. 2 three new Walmart neighborhood markets opened simultaneously around the city. Walmart companies gave $30,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations. Southeast collected a total of $5,000 in grants. Nearly three months have passed and the benefiting organizations are beginning to spend the funds. Choose Respect received $2,000 in grants. They have used a portion of the money to make Christmas care packages for Women and Children at the Harbor House women shelter. They also purchased art supplies for Start Strong Choose Respect Teen Dating & Violence Awareness Prevention Month citywide art show held on Feb.4 in Old Town. They will
continue to determine how best to make use of the funds to support Choose Respect, an organization which focuses on positive relationships and getting rid of negative behavior. “It is a big art show and the mayor even comes out, this is very important to us” Jill Terhune, counselor, said. The library collected $2,000 from the grants. The staff used it to purchase a display case, a color printer and will use the remaining money to fund for new books and books to add to series sets. The library staff has purchased books to continue The Inheritance Series, The Hunger Game Series, The Leviathan Series, The Alex Rider Series and Graphic Novel (Anima/Manga) Series.
The case has teacher’s hobbies and skills put on display and Principal Leroy Parks will soon add memorabilia to honor Buffalo soldiers. “We try to have something going on with the monthly theme,” Belita Fry, librarian clerk, said. Fry encourages students to come into the library before school and at lunch to check out the new books and see some of the student artwork put on display. Debate and Forensics also received $1,000. They have not yet decided how to spend the funds, according to Stan Smith, performing arts. The remainder of the funds will be decided how best spent and used appropriately. --- DALISHA RUSSELL
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