Approve Attendance Boundary Changes in Support of the Conversion of Sulphur Springs Elementary to Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School

The School District has been an active partner in the Sulphur Springs Neighborhood of Promise (SSNOP) program, which is a collaborative effort of residents, educators, service providers, government agencies, business leaders and funding partners who have joined together to implement an educational program in which children thrive academically. As part of the educational program, District staff is recommending that Sulphur Springs Elementary convert to a grade K-8 Community School beginning in August 2015.  Implementation will be phased by adding just one additional grade level each year, resulting in no current middle school students changing schools.

The SSNOP community initiative strives to provide a child-focused educational delivery system that is family-friendly and easily accessible within the neighborhood. The goals of the SSNOP are to create a culture that promotes the caring, nurturing and successful education of children; to offer support services in positive and productive settings; to create a promising future for the neighborhood where ALL children enter school prepared to succeed, function at grade level and graduate from high school prepared for college, technical school, and/ or career.

The Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School would provide a mechanism to meet the above mentioned goals.  Students would remain together with their classmates and teachers through the 8^th grade providing continuity to both students and their families.  Students in grades 6-8 in the existing Sulphur Springs Elementary boundary would be reassigned from Van Buren or Sligh Middle Schools to the new Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School (phased in).  The boundary of Sulphur Springs Elementary would now be Sulphur Springs K-8 Community School (see attached), and the attendance boundaries for Van Buren and Sligh Middle Schools would be amended (see attached) to delete the portions that currently serve students attending Sulphur Springs Elementary School.  

A meeting with the community and SSNOP partners is scheduled to occur on February 10^th to discuss this proposal.   Since the change is proposed to be phased in, no physical changes would be needed to add the 6^th grade class in August.  A full facilities evaluation is ongoing and any necessary changes will be brought to the School Board for approval. 

The conversion to a K-8 School will not have an immediate financial impact.  Any future plant changes will come to the Board for approval as separate agenda items and be incorporated into the District's Five Year Facilities Work Plan.