Friday, March 10, 2000
Middletown makes plans for schools post-Monroe
BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
MIDDLETOWN — The breakup of the Middletown/Monroe Schools into two separate districts July 1 will provide Middletown residents an opportunity to redefine their schools and bring back Middie pride and spirit, educators here say.
“New beginnings are exciting,” said Dr. Mark Frazer, Middletown/Monroe Board of Education president, during a press conference this week. “It is now time we look forward.”
Tuesday's vote by Monroe residents to form their own district will allow Middletown school officials to move on projects that were put on hold pending the vote. A facilities group will reconvene and review a $97.4 million plan that called for reconfiguring of grade levels, and a large-scale repair/
replacement program.
Many think a February 1999 bond issue to pay for the project was defeated because of uncertainty over Monroe's efforts to separate.
The plan called for smaller class sizes in the elementary buildings, five middle schools for grades 5 to 8, major upgrades at several buildings, construction of two more elementary schools, and classroom additions at four others.
“We have to review and update the plan just for Middletown,” said Middletown Treasurer Edmund Pokora. “It will naturally change.”
An eight-member transition team will coordinate the split that leaves the Middletown City Schools with about 8,200 students, enough for the district to retain its ranking among the so-called “Urban 21” districts in Ohio.
The split means that Verity Middle and Amanda Elementary schools could lose almost half of their enrollment in August with the departure of Monroe students. About 170 Amanda students will go to Monroe Elementary, and 212 at Verity will move to Lemon-Monroe High School. That could allow class size to decrease and all-day kindergarten to expand.
About 650 students could return to Middletown High School. Many of those Middletown residents might choose to remain at Lemon-Monroe through open enrollment. Monroe leaders say they will allow open enrollment for grades 9 to 12, until the enrollment hits a 1,000-student maximum.
Middletown officials are expecting at least 200 students returning but planning for 650 by preparing 13 classrooms at Manchester Technical Center, which will return to the Middletown Schools with the expansion of the D. Russel Lee Career-Technology Center.
The split also will leave Middletown Schools with a smaller general fund, by about 10 percent, Mr. Pokora said. It will drop to $54 million from this year's $60 million. Over the next five years the split will cost Middletown Schools about $1 million, a figure Mr. Pokora says the district can absorb provided voters renew a five-
year levy next year.
To help answer residents' questions, four community forums will be scheduled later this month in Middletown, said Superintendent Wayne Driscoll.
Middletown educators will continue to work with the Monroe Executive Committee to ensure a smooth transition.
“We'll be ready to provide all the help both districts need to succeed,” Mr. Driscoll said. “The worst thing that can happen is for both districts to fail, and we are not about failure.”
GET IN TOUCH
•
To help answer parents' questions, Middletown leaders have established a hot line, 420-4656.
• A discussion forum has been set up online and can be accessed through the district's Web site: www.mcsd.k12.oh.us.
• Questions can also be e-mailed to: transition2000 @mcsd.k12.oh.us
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