• From: Ahmed Ismail
    Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 11:57:07 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
    To: School Board
    Subject: Farmington - March 15 District Restructuring Votes are Done

    Just received this email from Farmington.  The vote is in on closing and re-purposing buildings in their district.

    Don’t quite understand the inconsistency in the total number of Board members who voted on each item.  The real challenge for them now is educating the public that if they keep going the way they are, this is going to seem pleasant compared to what they have to look forward to.

    Certainly a tough situation for their community we need to insure doesn’t happen in GP.

    Best wishes,

    Ahmed

    Summary of Board of Education Votes regarding School Closings/Repurposing and School of Choice

    Tuesday, March 15, 2016 

    On Tuesday, March 15, the Farmington Public Schools’ Board of Education voted on the following recommendations: 

    High School

    The Board voted to close Harrison High School effective for the 2019-2020 school year.  This means that students will continue to enroll at Harrison High School until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2019, all Farmington Public Schools’ high school students will attend either Farmington High School or North Farmington High School.  The motion passed with a 6-1 vote. 

    Middle School/Highmeadow K-8 STEAM Academy

    The Board, with a 4-3 vote, moved to close Dunckel Middle School and establish the Highmeadow K-8 STEAM Academy in that location starting with the 2017-2018 school         year.  This means that the District will have three 6-8 middle schools serving the system.  East, Power, and Warner will operate as either 6-8 schools or spend the 2016-2017 school year transitioning into 6-8 schools with reduced populations.  Dunckel parents and students will be surveyed about next year’s status for staying as a cohort of eighth graders or transitioning to a new middle school.  Highmeadow will continue to operate as a K-5 school for the 2016-2017 school year. 

    Preschool Programming

    In a 5-2 vote, the Board moved to relocate the District’s preschool programming from Farmington Community School and Alameda Early Childhood Center to the Highmeadow location for the 2017-2018 school year.

    School of Choice

    The Board voted 6-0 to enter into Section 105 School of Choice for 20 total seats in Kindergarten and First Grade for the 2016-2017 school year.

    In another 6-0 vote, the Board voted to enter into Section 105 School of Choice for 50 seats in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, with an initial entry point of ninth grade provided that non-IB certificate or diploma students are still given the opportunity to take IB courses where space is available.  Students entering the IB program will be expected to maintain good standing within the program, as would all resident students in the program.