Hundreds Of Students Could Be Moved To Ease Overcrowding
By: Brendaliss Gonzalez
Updated: January 24, 2013
Come next year, there could be fewer kids running around this playground.
Seventy seven fewer to be exact.
That means teachers like Julie Brown will be missing about two students in their classrooms, but that could be a good thing.
"You do kind of notice it as you're grading papers and filing and getting folders ready, every two make a little bit of a difference," said the first grade teacher.
For now this is all a possibility.
It's yet to be decided whether children at schools like Jackson Elementary will have to transfer somewhere else.
It's supposed to be a way to bring some relief to more crowded schools like this one.
"It's like any type of public gathering, the less people that are involved or the less crowding it is, the more that you're able to see individuals," said Roy Sharp, principal at Jackson Elementary.
It's a bitter sweet change for many of the faculty.
"We don't want to lose them, but they understand the big picture and they know that they're going to be going to a great school," said Sharp.
And while the amount of fewer students per classroom wont be much, it will still make a difference to teachers like Brown.
"Even having one fewer kid at the table gives someone else more chances to read and to answer questions," she said.
So in this case, it's a question as to whether or not less is, in fact, more.
Parents will be able to voice some of their concerns and ask questions during a series of public meetings held at the following schools:
January 24: Reagan Elementary located at 5340 Hartford st.
January 29: Dyess Elementary located at 402 Delaware.
January 31: Bassetti Elementary located at 5749 Hwy. 277 South.
The changes will only affect elementary students.
Members of the Abilene Independent School District school board will decide on whether to instill the changes on Feb. 11.
Seventy seven fewer to be exact.
That means teachers like Julie Brown will be missing about two students in their classrooms, but that could be a good thing.
"You do kind of notice it as you're grading papers and filing and getting folders ready, every two make a little bit of a difference," said the first grade teacher.
For now this is all a possibility.
It's yet to be decided whether children at schools like Jackson Elementary will have to transfer somewhere else.
It's supposed to be a way to bring some relief to more crowded schools like this one.
"It's like any type of public gathering, the less people that are involved or the less crowding it is, the more that you're able to see individuals," said Roy Sharp, principal at Jackson Elementary.
It's a bitter sweet change for many of the faculty.
"We don't want to lose them, but they understand the big picture and they know that they're going to be going to a great school," said Sharp.
And while the amount of fewer students per classroom wont be much, it will still make a difference to teachers like Brown.
"Even having one fewer kid at the table gives someone else more chances to read and to answer questions," she said.
So in this case, it's a question as to whether or not less is, in fact, more.
Parents will be able to voice some of their concerns and ask questions during a series of public meetings held at the following schools:
January 24: Reagan Elementary located at 5340 Hartford st.
January 29: Dyess Elementary located at 402 Delaware.
January 31: Bassetti Elementary located at 5749 Hwy. 277 South.
The changes will only affect elementary students.
Members of the Abilene Independent School District school board will decide on whether to instill the changes on Feb. 11.
