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Board details student reassignments after school closures; parents press for clearer notices and meetings
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Smith outlined where students from schools slated to close will be reassigned and announced upcoming community meetings with incoming Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland; trustees asked for website updates and direct school outreach.
Superintendent Dr. Smith outlined the district’s plan for reassigning students after recent school closures and said a detailed mapping of where affected students will go will be posted on the district website by the next day.
Dr. Smith said seventh- and eighth-grade students from Cecil Parker and Grimes will move to Benjamin Turner (referred to as Benjamin Turner Academy in district materials). Edward Williams seventh- and eighth-grade students will move to Graham School. Mount Vernon Honor Academy seventh- and eighth-grade students, along with Lincoln students, will be assigned to Lincoln. Traphagen seventh- and eighth-grade students will join Pennington students at Pennington. Hamilton students in grades seven and eight will be sent to the Denzel Washington School for the Arts. Students from Mount Vernon Leadership Academy and Nelson Mandela in grades seven and eight will go to STEAM Academy. K–6 reassignments were listed as follows: Parker K–6 students to Benjamin Turner Academy or Rebecca Turner Academy; Mount Vernon Honor Academy K–6 students to Traphagen; and Mount Vernon Leadership Academy K–6 students to Mandela and Hamilton.
Trustees pressed for clearer and faster communications to families. A trustee asked when the mapping would appear online; Dr. Smith said the information would be posted by the next day and said district staff will attend school events such as Parker Day to answer parents’ questions. Trustees also requested that the district post the dates and locations of upcoming meetings with the incoming superintendent.
Dr. Smith also announced opportunities for families to meet the incoming superintendent, Dr. Demario Strickland: June 2 (5:30–7:30 p.m.) at Mount Vernon Honor Academy; June 18 (5:30–7:30 p.m.) at Graham School; and July 12 (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) at the Denzel Washington School for the Arts. Dr. Smith said the incoming superintendent will meet with parents, staff and community stakeholders and will schedule meetings with individual board members.
Separately during the meeting trustees asked about the state submission documenting the school reconfiguration and closure. Staff reported that the submission was made through the state portal, that once a submission is completed access via the portal is removed, and that the superintendent’s office will contact the state to request a copy or confirmation of the documents submitted so the board can review what was sent.
Trustees emphasized they want both the district’s compiled materials and the state-submitted form or attachments to be available to the board and the public where possible.
