Data trickles in for Unified: Information needed for decision on busing may not be ready for '07-'08

By Paul Sloth

Thursday, January 4, 2007 2:11 AM CST

Discussing school matters: What: A special meeting of the Racine Unified School Board

When: 6 p.m. today Where: 2220 Northwestern Ave., Racine On the agenda: long-range budget presentation, community survey presentation, redistricting data from demographer EduLog

What: The Racine Taxpayers Association meeting When: Noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday; a catered lunch is available starting at 11:30 a.m. (cost is $8) Where: Racine Family YMCA, 725 Lake Ave., second-floor meeting room At issue: A debate on the district's desegregation policy between Sister Michelle Olley and Mattie Booker, who are in favor of busing, and Racine County Supervisor Ken Lumpkin and School Board member Randy Bangs, who are in favor of neighborhood schools

RACINE - The first meeting of 2007 is a big one for the Racine Unified School Board, but all the information needed to deal with the tasks at hand is not available. The School Board will get its first look today at data from Montana-based demographer EduLog, hired to help the school district redraw its boundaries.

Several board members want to act on redistricting issues in time for the 2007-08 school year. But because of incomplete data, the board might not be any closer to a decision on how the district handles the issue of school desegregation.

The district hasn't redrawn boundaries for decades, resulting in overcrowding at some schools and others that are underutilized.

The district could move forward with a recommended plan to desegregate district schools, but others are pushing for a neighborhood schools plan that some believe will maintain a segregated school system.

School Board President Sue Kutz said she doesn't expect the information from the demographer to be complete by tonight's meeting because of a reporting error by Unified. Kutz said "data integrity issues on the school district's side" required district officials to correct numbers provided to EduLog last year, which didn't match up.

"Needless to say we're not pleased," Kutz said about the data mix up. "We were supposed to get data and hoped to get a couple of scenarios and use the data to help make a decision."

Kutz said she isn't entirely sure what information the firm will provide - board members haven't seen the data - but believed it would be data for all students in the district assigned to neighborhood schools, which is the school closest to their home. The data doesn't include boundary exceptions, magnet or charter schools. Tonight's meeting is only a study session, so the School Board won't make any decisions. But the information presented tonight will be a major factor in the district's future.

Board members have a lot to consider as a deadline for updating the district's desegregation policies and redrawing attendance boundaries draws near.

Administrators want a decision by Feb. 19 - the "drop dead" date for a decision that they could implement in time for the 2007-08 school year.

If the board doesn't reach a decision by then, any redistricting will need to wait until the 2008-09 school year.

Survey resultsto be presented Therese Fellner will present the results of a public opinion survey that looked at various topics, from neighborhood schools and sibling attendance preference to building safety and fiscal management.

Fellner, director of business development for the workforce and economic development division of Gateway Technical College, conducted the survey, which was randomly distributed to 4,900 district residents.

Kutz said the School Board would also get its first look Thursday at the district's long-range, four-year budget.

RTA to host debate The Racine Taxpayers Association will host its first meeting of the year from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday and will feature a debate on the busing versus neighborhood schools issue.

Sister Michelle Olley, a Racine Dominican, and Mattie Booker, a contributing columnist for The Journal Times, will argue for busing as a way for Racine Unified to achieve its desegregation goals.

Both Booker and Olley serve on the school district's Equity and Access Committee, which has recommended the school district desegregate based on race and socioeconomic status.

Racine County Supervisor Ken Lumpkin, publisher of The Insider News, and School Board member Randy Bangs will argue for neighborhood schools.

Bangs is one of four School Board members who have stated support for neighborhood schools, a plan many believe would not likely accommodate the district's current integration efforts.

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