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Parents, teachers urge board to slow boundary changes, citing disruption for special-education students
Summary
Several parents and teachers urged Lakeville Area Schools to slow a proposed elementary-boundary change, warning it would split neighborhoods and disrupt students — especially those with special education needs — and requested clearer maps and more time before a Jan.13 decision.
At the start of public comment, several Lakeville residents and educators urged the school board to slow or reconsider proposed elementary attendance-area changes that would move parts of neighborhoods between elementary and middle schools.
Jesse Heiling, of the Legacy neighborhood, asked the board to keep Legacy and Barris Ridge at Kenwood rather than moving them to Maguire, saying the suggested move would split feeder patterns and force a small group of students into a pathway that separates them from most peers in high school. “As far as I understand, 100% of the other McGuire students go on to Lakeville South,” Heiling said, arguing the proposed shift “creates isolation, anxiety, and unnecessary disruption” for middle-schoolers.
Kat Adair of Choke Cherry Hill said the proposal would split her section of the neighborhood across three elementary schools and described repeated school moves as emotionally disruptive for young children. “Moving is not okay for the third time in an elementary school year,” Adair said, asking the board to provide clearer maps and avoid splitting naturally connected neighborhoods.
Kris Katzenmeyer, a Lakeville Area Schools work-experience teacher, and Amber Alexon, a parent and leader in special-ed parent organizations, emphasized staffing and special-education implications. Katzenmeyer called for the district to make progress in contract negotiations ahead of a Jan.8 mediation session and urged district leaders to value educators, while Alexon told the board the district currently has seven open special-education positions and that repeated moves and principal turnover “directly affect stability, progress, and trust” for students receiving special-education services.
Speakers asked for clearer, zoomable maps and more time for families to understand the proposal; administrators said interactive maps and a community session (referenced for Jan.8) would be provided. Multiple public commenters requested that the board prioritize student stability and consider alternatives that reduce the number of students who would be 'multiple movers' under the proposal.
