UPDATE: District Committee Applications Are Available

The is looking to form a diverse committee of parents, teachers, faculty and community members to help make crucial decisions regarding pressing issues within the district.

A high demand for “school of choice” programs, kindergarten enrollment, and parent requests to expand grades offered at several schools are just some of the topics that the committee will tackle. Hawes Elementary School has faced over-enrollment the past few years and forced to re-direct students to other district schools. A possible boundary adjustment could take place.

Other schools in the district that have wait lists include , McKinley Institute of Technology (MIT), . Superintendent Jan Christensen said that could have faced over-enrollment this past school year if it hadn’t added a kindergarten class.

The district pointed to the success of the “Roosevelt Revitalization” a few years back, when a similarly formed committee introduced the “project-based learning” program that was eventually adopted school-wide.

The committee will have at least 20 representatives, in addition to the Superintendent Jan Christensen, Deputy Superintendent John Baker, Chief Business Official Raul Parungao and Director of Communications Naomi Hunter.  The committee will be comprised of a cross section of parents and staff from every school, according to a written statement from the district. A diverse group of committed individuals could produce innovative suggestions not otherwise formulated, according to Christensen.

Applications are available online at www.rcsdk8.net or at every school office. Applications are due to Dr. John Baker by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 2.

The committee won’t specifically seek to make changes, but this voluntary position will give community members the chance to have a direct impact on school issues.