By Bill Zeeble
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-721520.mp3
Dallas, TX – 400 to 500 parents, students & teachers filled the auditorium to learn more about their school's future. Spruce and Samuell high schools, and Comstock middle school have all scored unacceptable 3 consecutive years. And they may again. State law says the schools can be shuttered. But the DISD's Chief Administrative Officer Donna Micheaux says Spruce is the one they're most worried about. Comstock she says has met academic standards. Samuell has shown double digit gains in reading.
Donna Micheaux: However for Spruce the data is not promising. There's been little growth in some subject areas and even negative growth in some areas.
The TEA has already closed schools in Austin and Houston. Administrators laid out 3 options for Spruce. One would keep the school intact and beef up efforts in math and science. Another would let an outside manager take it over. The last would send all of nearly a thousand 10th and 11th graders to Lincoln and Madison high schools. Seniors could graduate from Spruce if they wanted, or transfer. That would leave seniors and 9th graders. Allliance/AFT union president Aimee Bolender says there's really only one option as she sees it - option A
Aimee Bolender, President. Alliance/AFT:
Option B isn't really a repurposing. And option C is time limited, and not able to do alternative management. So I read option A as the one they'll move forward with.
As the meeting wore on, some students, especially seniors, like Renique Hughes, grew more and more upset.
Renique Hughes, senior: I'm upset, we want to grad together. We've spent 3 years together. We go to another school won't be accepted.
Junior Xavier Powell, a choir member didn't like the option either.
Xavier Powell: I'm mad cause they're trying to split me up from choir. We're like family. We all work together and we worked hard for them to just break us up like that.
Parents were equally upset. May Miels will have a senior going here and says a move would horrible.
Mae Miels: Kids got to be relocated to a different school. This is his last year here and I don't want him to be moved.
Most parents and teachers prefer Option B, but school board member Ron Price acknowledges that's unlikely.
Price: I understand emotions of we don't want to go to another school. But how would you feel next year when the government close their school down? How would you feel?
That's the option Price says the board and administration are trying to avoid. Trustees make a final decision on the options June 26th. There's another town hall meeting at Samuell High School tonight, and at Comstock Middle School tomorrow night.
Bill Zeeble KERA news.