BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- Parents and Covington Mayor Denny Bowman are putting pressure on the Covington School Board to keep Fourth District Elementary School open.
Parents filed a motion for an injunction in Kenton Circuit Court on Friday, hoping to stop the school board from closing the community school that their children -- and even some of the parents -- attended. Judge Patricia Summe advised them on ways to make their motion stronger, and parents said they will file an amendment on Monday.
And Mr. Bowman is asking Covington School Board members to meet with city officials about ways to save the school.
"We're a tightknit community and we don't want that to change," parent Gordon Smyth said. He has two children at the school. "We just aren't happy about this situation. This is our school. We pay the taxes and they didn't tell us anything about their plans." Parents found out on Tuesday that the school board wants to close the school and send its 370 students to three other elementary schools. Parents were notified by a handwritten, photocopied note sent home with each child.
Tuesday night, school officials met with parents at the school. Superintendent James Kemp and school board members told parents that an internal study of the district's classroom space, needs and programs determined that Covington schools did not need seven elementary buildings. Enrollment has declined steadily since 1956. That year, there were 8,021 students. In 1980, when two schools were closed, there were about 6,500 students. This year, there are 5,100.
Irregular districting left some schools packed tight while others had empty classrooms. And some students were walking extra blocks to one school when they lived closer to another.
The study found that the Fourth District School, with about 370 students, is not centrally located to its student population. The school is also in a part of Covington with a shrinking population. Fourth District students would instead attend First District, Sixth District and Glenn O. Swing.
Officials plan to house alternative programs for at-risk students at Fourth District. Mr. Kemp said Fourth District will be run like any other school and neighbors should not notice a difference. The building will help centralize alternative programs now housed in several school buildings.
Mayor Bowman said he was surprised by the district's actions. The city and the district recently worked together to solve a street-closing problem at the Sixth District School and other school issues. But Fourth District Principal Aaron Ballard is leaving after this year and the school is one of the lowest-scoring in the district. Mr. Bowman said the board's action aren't the best way to serve the students.
"I found out about this when the parents did," Mr. Bowman said. "And I think the city can sit down with the school and try to find a way to work this out."
Mr. Kemp said closing the Fourth District School prevents the district from having to add a full-service cafeteria and air conditioning. Parents said they were not told until Tuesday that the building needed such improvements to remain open.
Since then, parents have met repeatedly, planning ways to prevent the school board from making such a drastic step without seeking parental and community input. Parents will meet again at 1 p.m. today and plan to march from the school to Monday night's 5:30 p.m. school board meeting to express their concerns.
"We don't want this to turn into a sideshow," parent Diedre Bowles said. She has a daughter and a son at the school. "But we want to be taken seriously."
