WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP — A proposal to change attendance boundaries for elementary and junior school students in the Lakota Schools is undergoing changes, even before it has been presented at all school buildings.

        The changes won't take effect until September 2003, when Ohio's eighth-largest district opens its seventh elementary and fourth junior school on the former Van Gorden farm at the northwest corner of Lesourdsville-West Chester and Princeton roads. The change will allow two junior schools to feed to Lakota East High School and two to feed to Lakota West High School.

        Superintendent Kathleen Klink this week made adjustments in the proposal so there would be fewer changes in the attendance boundaries for Adena, Freedom and Shawnee elementary schools. The final plan — which may still undergo some changes — is scheduled to go before the Lakota Board of Education for approval in late May.

        “Our belief is these are pretty good boundaries that will hold,” Mrs. Klink said.

        Under the revised proposal, Adena would retain its boundaries. Students in the Gano area near Cincinnati-Dayton Road would move from Union Elementary to Adena, affecting fewer than 10 children. Those who live in Woodland Hills and Lake Princeton Townhouses would move from Freedom to Adena, a move that would affect about 30 students.

        To free up space at Adena, its kindergarten children would attend classes at Shawnee Elementary. Those students now enrolled in Union Elementary School's English-as-a-second-language class would move to Shawnee. Students who live in the Landings of Beckett would move from Freedom to Heritage elementary schools. Students in the Ashford Woods and Princeton Crossings subdivision would remain in Freedom.

        Parent Cathy Durko said she was pleased about the changes. Under the original plan, nine members of Adena's Parent Teacher Organization who are in charge of 11 major activities — including Market Day — would have left because their children would have been assigned to a different elementary school.

        “I have four years invested here. If I wasn't so involved, it might not be such an impact,” Mrs. Durko said. “Kathy (Klink) has won me over on this. I was very impressed that she listened to the parents.”

        Meetings to explain the proposed changes continue through May 1.

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