School Consolidation: 144 Mile Bus Rides
45 Campuses Closed Since Administrative Consolidation Act 60 Passed
20 Of Those Campuses Are Elementary Campuses
Elaine Students Will Now Have 14-hour school days: 5:00 a.m. to 7:00-144 mile bus route
(click "Thursday" below and scroll down for story and list of campuses closed down, or if sent directy to this page just scroll down.)
20 Of Those Campuses Are Elementary Campuses
Elaine Students Will Now Have 14-hour school days: 5:00 a.m. to 7:00-144 mile bus route
(click "Thursday" below and scroll down for story and list of campuses closed down, or if sent directy to this page just scroll down.)
posted by Debbie Pelley at Friday, March 31, 2006
13 Comments:
Legislators and consolidation advocates persistently assured consolidation opponents in 2004 that the elementary schools and isolated campuses would not be closed. The proponents of the consolidation legislation carefully referred to their consolidation bills as "ADMINISTRATIVE" consolidation. In fact the consolidation bill, Act 60, used ADMINISTRATIVE 37 times in the 4-page bill, and yet we have 45 campuses closed, and 20 of them elementary campuses. The ADE constantly used the word ADMISTRATIVE consolidation in all of its documents as well.
The Arkansas State School Board just closed Elaine 7-12th grade campus on 3-13-06, and now some students have a 14- hour day with a 72- mile bus route one way (144 miles a day). Parents testified under oath (and no one contested it) at the hearing that they and their children will have to get up at 5:00 a.m. to catch the bus before 6:00 a.m., and students will not get home until 6:30 or 7:00 because many of them have after school tutoring (mandated by the state). There was even talk that the elementary school may have to be closed soon. This is just one of many examples of extended bus routes. Before these 45 closings, more than 32 districts had 3 to 3 ½ bus routes. Senator Laverty said that the only time many students in his district saw their homes in the daylight in the winter was on the week-ends.
The AR Democrat Gazette reported on 3-24-93: "One school-consolidation bill at this session was introduced by Representative Jim Argue of Little Rock. Massive in scope, it would provide that each county in Arkansas would have but one school district by July 1, 1995." The Blue Ribbon Commission recommended basically the same thing. And they want us to believe, despite the 45 campus closings with so called administrative consolidation, that no schools or campuses will be closed under countywide administrative consolidation! To view this article on the web, see www.wpaag.org, under New Item or go to this link http://www.wpaag.org/Consolidation%20-%20Sch.%20closings%2045-144%20mi%20bus%20route.htm
Contact:
Bob Hester
American Family Association of Arkansas
870-932-5065
blhester@m34u.net
School Closings up to March, 06 from Rural Trust Spread Sheet
Doug Eaton from ADE sent a list of 38 but had left some off and there were more closings since his list.
It gives district, campus, county, and what happended to it, then date.
ALREAD
ALREAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
VAN BUREN
annexed into Clinton byAct 60
closed effective July 06
ALREAD
ALREAD HIGH SCHOOL
VAN BUREN
annexed into Clinton byAct 60
closed effective July 06
ARKANSAS CITY
ARKANSAS CITY ELEM. SCHOOL
DESHA
Annexed into McGeehee by Act 60
closed
ARKANSAS CITY
ARKANSAS CITY HIGH SCHOOL
DESHA
Annexed into McGeehee by Act 60
closed
BIGGERS-REYNO
BIGGERS-REYNO ELEM. SCHOOL
RANDOLPH
annexed into Corning by Act 60
closed by Corning SB and SBE effective July 06
BIGGERS-REYNO
BIGGERS-REYNO HIGH SCHOOL
RANDOLPH
annexed into Corning by Act 60
closed by Corning SB and SBE effective July 06
BRIGHT STAR
BRIGHT STAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MILLER
annexed into Fouke by Act 60
closed
BRIGHT STAR
BRIGHT STAR HIGH SCHOOL
MILLER
annexed into Fouke by Act 60
closed
CARTHAGE
CARTHAGE HIGH SCHOOL
DALLAS
annexed into Malvern by Act 60
closed in 2005
CORD-CHARLOTTE
CORD-CHARLOTTE ELEM. SCHOOL
INDEPENDENCE
cons./wNewark to Cedar Ridge-Act 60
closed
CORD-CHARLOTTE
CORD-CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL
INDEPENDENCE
cons./wNewark to Cedar Ridge-Act 60
closed
COTTON PLANT
COTTON PLANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WOODRUFF
Annexed into Augusta by Act 60
closed
COTTON PLANT
COTTON PLANT HIGH SCHOOL
WOODRUFF
Annexed into Augusta by Act 60
closed
CRAWFORDSVILLE
CRAWFORDSVILLE ELEM. SCHOOL
CRITTENDEN
annexed into Marion by Act 60
closed in 2004
CRAWFORDSVILLE
CRAWFORDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
CRITTENDEN
annexed into Marion by Act 60
closed in 2004
DELTA SPECIAL
DELTA HIGH SCHOOL
DESHA
Annexed into McGeehee by Act 60
closed
ELAINE
ELAINE HIGH SCHOOL
PHILLIPS
Annexed into Marvell by Act 60 Feb. 06
close July 2006
Evening Shade Evening Shade High School Sharp Annexed to Cave City by Act 60 closed
Eudora G. C. Johns Lower Elem Sch Chico annexed into Lakeside by SBEomnibus Act All but K-3 to Lakeside by July 06
EUDORA
EUDORA HIGH SCHOOL & elem4-8
CHICOT
annexed into Lakeside by SBE/omnibus Act
to close July 2006
FOUNTAIN HILL
FOUNTAIN HILL HIGH SCHOOL
ASHLEY
Annexed into Hamburg by Act 60
closed
GOULD
GOULD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LINCOLN
annexed into Dumas by Act 60
closed
GOULD
GOULD HIGH SCHOOL
LINCOLN
annexed into Dumas by Act 60
closed
GOULD
GOULD MIDDLE SCHOOL
LINCOLN
annexed into Dumas by Act 60
closed
GRADY
GRADY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LINCOLN
annexed into StarCity by Act 60
closed
GRADY
GRADY HIGH SCHOOL
LINCOLN
annexed into StarCity by Act 60
closed
HOLLY GROVE
HOLLY GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MONROE
annexed into Clarendon by Act 60
closed
HOLLY GROVE
HOLLY GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
MONROE
annexed into Clarendon by Act 60
closed
HUMPHREY
HUMPHREY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ARKANSAS
annexed into DeWitt by Act 60
closed in 2005
HUMPHREY
HUMPHREY HIGH SCHOOL
ARKANSAS
annexed into DeWitt by Act 60
closed in 2005
LAKE VIEW
C.V. WHITE HIGH SCHOOL
PHILLIPS
annexed into Barton-Lexa by Act 60
closed
LAKE VIEW
LAKE VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PHILLIPS
annexed into Barton-Lexa by Act 60
closed
MCNEIL
MCNEIL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
COLUMBIA
annexed into Stephens by Act 60
closed Feb 2006 by Stephens SB and SBE
MCNEIL
MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL
COLUMBIA
annexed into Stephens by Act 60
closed Feb 2006 by Stephens SB and SBE
MCRAE
MCRAE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WHITE
annexed into Beebe by Act 60
closed?
MCRAE
MCRAE HIGH SCHOOL
WHITE
annexed into Beebe by Act 60
closed?
Mount Holly Mount Holly High School Union annexed into Smackover by Act 60 closed 20005
PARKIN
PARKIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CROSS
SBE annexed into Wynn 2005
closed
PARKIN
PARKIN HIGH SCHOOL
CROSS
SBE annexed into Wynn 2005
closed
PERRY-CASA
PERRY-CASA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PERRY
annexed into Ola 2003, now Two Rivers
closed
PERRY-CASA
PERRY-CASA HIGH SCHOOL
PERRY
annexed into Ola 2003, now Two Rivers
closed
SWIFTON
SWIFTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JACKSON
annexed into Jackson Co. by Act 60
closed
SWIFTON
SWIFTON HIGH SCHOOL
JACKSON
annexed into Jackson Co. by Act 60
closed
WILBURN
WILBURN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CLEBURNE
annexed into Concord Act 60
closed 2006
WILBURN
WILBURN HIGH SCHOOL
CLEBURNE
annexed into Concord Act 60
closed 2006
WINSLOW
WINSLOW HIGH SCHOOL
WASHINGTON
annexed into Greenland Act 60
closed 2005
WITTS SPRINGS
WITTS SPRINGS ELEM. SCHOOL
SEARCY
annexed into Searcy Co. 2003
closed
WITTS SPRINGS
WITTS SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
SEARCY
annexed into Searcy Co. 2003
closed
As a parent I would drive my children to school then and not subject them to such a long bus ride. If in fact these rides are this long.
As a parent, I think having school buses is ridiculous. Maybe if we didn't have school buses that drive our kids around the corner from the school so that the moms don't have to sit in the car line, we wouldn't have to close so many schools. Note to parents: If you are at home when your child gets on the bus and when they get off the bus, take them and pick them up yourself or carpool. Stop abusing the system.
That is commendable. I fear it would make the congestion even greater though.
Congestion is not nearly important as kids--it still could not take 2 hours each way for a PARENT to get their children to school. Who in the world would put their child on a school bus at 5:00am anyway? (If that is even true). People, it only takes 5 hours to drive across this state...there has to be a closer school for a child to go to than that.
It is my understanding that, with few exceptions, their school is determined by where they live. If some hair-brained bureaucrat decides that your school is one located 2 hours away, you cannot go anywhere else.
Am I wrong here?
There is such a thing as a transfer, which is not all that hard to get. But I still have a hard time believing that it could possibly take that long to get to school, and if it does, that is a bussing problem and should be worked out by the local school district...and don't forget that it is CRAZY for a parent to allow their child to sit on a bus for 3 hours a day!!! We're talking about kidergarteners, for heaven sake! Take your child to school and let them sleep in.
I can't believe these insensitive, aristocratic, and repressive comments about bus rides. There must be a great many well off people writing on this blog. Have you ever heard of poverty. This school is predominantly black with high poverty levels. I can't believe your insensitivity, and you call the people running this blog racist! How can people living at the poverty level afford to take their kids 72 miles to school. Do you not understand that people have to work for a living. Even if you had the money to put gas in a car at the price it is now and take your children to school, how could they drive 72 miles to take their kids to school and get to work as well and drive that far in the afternoon to pick them up. As for as transferring from one school to another, you can't do that if there is not a school any closer than 72 miles and in these cases there are not or they would not be closing the school and sending them this far. Even the state recognizes them as isolated areas and until this last session, they treated them as such. I guess these people living at the poverty level should just pay for their kids to go to a private school out there in the isolated area somewhere. That reasoning is about as sound as the reasoning on the other posts. And some people would say these people just need to move to town. Some people don't even have enough money to change jobs or start over somewhere else. I am appalled at the lack of sensitivity. I think there are some people that just want to disagree with anything that is put on this web and if the moderator of this blog said the sky is blue, they would find something negative to say about it. Just remember many people have had to eat their words, and who knows maybe you or your own children will be caught in this siutaiton some day where you are as poor as these people and have to subject your children to such hardships. Fortunately other people don't respond this way. Most people find it incredible and appalling like I did when I first heard about 3 hour bus rides. I did not know anyone in the state rode a bus that far and was bothered by it for days. I note that a few legislators are demanding more money for these isolated districts now so they can survive without closing. By the way the paper said the superintednent said it was 60 miles one way (JUST 60 miles) However the parents testified to 72. And you have to stop you know and let kids off numerous times (about 25 to 30 times probably) to let kids off the bus. It is not like driving a 72 mile drive. I guess some of you rich folks never rode the bus and don't even know what a bus ride is like. Why don't you go ride one of them one day and have a new experience!
The shame of all this is that we can't even get our legislators to do the right thing. The Winslow School District was abolished, and the students have to ride the bus for miles through the mountains to Greenland. Mark Martin, who represents that district, won't even show up to fight for the kids in rural schools. He's off on some expense-paid vacation junket that he thinks is more important than voting for sensible education policies to protect our children.
Jeremy Hutchinson and Dwight Fite will be filing a bill to help these small schools survive. The bill will remove the discretion from the State Board of Education in interpreting what "offering 38 core credits" mean.
Their bill will say that as long as one of the high schools in the district offers the course and makes it readily available for kids in every campus, the little school doesn't have to have a teacher on campus and at least one kid taking all 38 classes. This is common sense and will save Paron and many other schools similarly situated. They need our help. Lets start emailing.
11:03 Like I said earlier, we need to get rid of most of the buses in this state. Where I live, and yes I am considered wealthy, most of the moms stay-at-home but will not get up to take their child to and from school. It is crazy to have an entire bus full of kids to take them around the corner. After they go around the corner, the bus is empty. We are wasting a lot of tax money on buses that don't need to be used. I personally think that buses should be reserved for people that live quite a distance from the school. That way we would free up a lot of tax money and maybe then some of these schools could afford to stay open. Although I am not the person that upset you so much, I think you need to not fly off the handle so quickly. You could've explained things first because there are plenty of people out there that can't relate to people that live in poverty and can't afford to drive their kids that far. I don't think anyone was trying to be insensitive. I think we all need to start watching what we say and have a little more dignity.
It really doesn't matter if we don't agree on a candidate, but I do think we can all agree that we are christians, and should start acting like one. I'm sure most of us are ashamed of some of the things we've typed. It's time to move on.
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