Why make all high school seniors suffer

The Escambia County School Board will consider whether or not high seniors should be allowed to graduate from their current high schools next year – even though the new zones place them in other schools. I think they should. Only 100 students are impacted – not all will want to stay.

Accoding to PNJ, School Attendance Zone Advisory Committee Kathie Lasky said that if Woodham students can’t graduate from their school, students at other affected schools should not be given that choice.

Lasky is confusing the issue. Woodham High is being converted a middle school to save the school system millions. Keeping open just for the 2007 Senior Class wasn’t a viable option. However, allowing a small group of students finish their last high school year in their present schools isn’t unreasonable.

School Attendance Zone Advisory Committee facilitator Shawn Dennis overstates the cost when he says the 100 seniors mean 5 more classrooms @ a cost of $100,000 each.

Dennis is assuming all 100 are all in the same classes. That won’t be the case. The real financial impact will be much less as the students are spread out over the curriculum.