The Suter Elementary School PTA has been told that the School District plans to close its school and relocate all the students to O.J. Semmes (off 12th Ave.).
Suter is an “A” school. It’s a neighborhood school where the teachers have taught generations of the same families. It has a 25% minority student population – 29% are on the reduced lunch program.
Semmes is a “D” school. It has a 97% minority student population – 90% are on the reduced lunch program. The white kids in its district attend private schools.
Soccer moms aren’t happy. They believe you shouldn’t destroy something that’s working.
Superintendent Jim Paul and Board member Patty Hightower are very vulnerable on this issue. The Soccer Moms elected Hightower in 2004 and elected Grover Robinson in 2006. The moms are more powerful in this district than PCC.
The questions remain: How do we better integrate our schools? How do we reduce the large number of old schools without some pain?