District outlines Columbus-to-Edison transition plan with four work groups, surveys and May events

District staff told the Appleton Area School District Board that planning for the transition of Columbus students to Edison has moved into four work groups and that administrators are using family surveys and conference follow-up to guide next steps.

The transition team identified four work groups: a Safe Routes to School work group that will coordinate with the City of Appleton on walking routes and traffic patterns; a student-introduction group that will prepare videos and stations for an orientation; a family transition event planning group to schedule tours and meet-and-greets at Edison; and a peer support "link crew"-style program that will pair current Edison students with incoming students.

Administration said a middle-school transition day on Wednesday, May 14, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. will provide an opportunity for fifth graders to visit their next school's space and that Columbus students planning to attend Edison will be invited to Edison that afternoon. A separate family transition event for Columbus families at Edison is planned in May (date to be set by the Columbus commemoration group meeting this week). The transition team will next meet Wednesday, May 7, when work-group leads are expected to report progress and request feedback.

District staff reported outreach efforts: a February survey to Columbus K'4 families and targeted follow-ups during parent-teacher conferences in early March. Early survey results reported in the meeting: 22 Columbus students were confirmed as attending Edison next year; 16 families reported being unsure and were targeted for follow-up (some of those families indicated possible moves or school-of-choice applications); and 11 students were identified as moving out of the district.

The district said it plans to hire a Community Schools Resource Coordinator within weeks who will join the transition work and coordinate community engagement. Edison PTO members and Columbus staff were named as participants; administration said it would continue individualized calls to families with questions about transportation options, before- and after-school care interest, and other transition concerns.

Board members asked whether Edison families had been surveyed (administration said not yet), whether the student visit would be treated like a field trip requiring parental permission (it would), and whether students would walk or be bused for the visit (the work group will decide, though walking is anticipated). Administrators emphasized that the intent is to support families and to treat the move as a multi-year integration rather than a single event.