[Peace-discuss] school board

[karen medina]

The school board was suggesting a site which is out beyond Parkland 
College. And that the children from the North End would be bused to this 
new school, which is more than 2 miles away from even the nearest homes. 
Busing kids always creates a problem for the kids to be involved in 
after school events, but an even greater problem for lower income 
families who tend to be transportationally challenged more than middle 
class families. Middle class parents work 9-5 jobs, can get time off 
from work to go pick up their sick child from school, and they can drive 
to pick up their kids from after school events. Lower class families do 
not have any of these luxuries.

There were middle class parents Friday who were saying that they driving 
their kids to school it takes 10 minutes, but the ride on the school bus 
would be 45. Driving them to school is a middle class work-around that 
does not work for the families on the north end.

The school board lawyer said at the meeting that this new site satisfies 
the Consent Decree, and it does not. The Consent Decree states that the 
investment for schools would be North of University Avenue. While the 
Staley and Bradley Roads location is north of University (if it extended 
out that far rather than turning into the Interstate), the residents of 
Champaign know full well that "North of University" meant and still 
means the North End where the families live.

The school board has a lot to think about.

The north end needs schools. The schools that are there need to be 
repaired. And the school board needs to find a way to put enough seats 
in current schools or new schools, but they need to do it in the real 
north end of Champaign, not out beyond the urban sprawl.

-karen medina