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CLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RENOVATIONS <br /> <br /> Mr. Jimmie Dunbar of School Administration, stated that <br />the preliminary renovation plans for Clark Elementary School <br />had been sent to the State for their approval, which <br />included removal of some asbestos in the school. Mr. <br />Dunbar stated that after the plans are returned from the <br />State, the Renovation Committee, School Board, and Council <br />would have an opportunity to review them. <br /> <br />FUTURE NEEDS STUDY <br /> <br /> Dr. Joseph Mooney, School Board Chairman, stated that <br />the Citizen Task Force that recommended pairing of the <br />middle schools took a great deal of thought, talent, and <br />concern to arrive at their recommendation and had concluded <br />that there are definitely problems at the middle school <br />level that need addressing. Dr. Mooney stated that the <br />School Board would consider the pairing of the middle <br />schools as well as changing the feeder schools and more in- <br />depth cost figures for both proposals. Dr. Mooney noted <br />that a member of the State EduCatiOn Department would be <br />present at the next School Board meeting to give the State's <br />concerns regarding possible changes. <br /> <br /> Mr. Buck made the following observations concerning the <br />issues facing the School Board: 1) that the idea of <br />changing the feeder schools be studied more in-depth, and <br />2) that it had not been articulated to the community what <br />the educational benefits of pairing the middle schools would <br />be. <br /> <br /> Dr. MooneY stated that Strickly defined, there may not <br />be educational benefits to pairing the middle schools, but <br />that there are educational benefits to balancing the racial <br />and socio/economic populations. <br /> <br /> Ms. Couric stated that she felt that there are two <br />separate issues facing the School Board: the educational <br />benefits of a heterogeneous population and the issue of <br />pairing the 5th/6th graders and the 7th/8th graders versus <br />maintaining the 6th/7th/8th grades. <br /> <br /> Mr. Buck stated that he felt that if heterogeneity was <br />the goal, then it should be done in the least disruptive <br />means possible. <br /> <br /> Mro Barnes recommended that if the School Board decides <br />that the pairing cOncept is valid, the School Board should <br />take the responsibility for gathering first-hand information <br />from school sYstems where pairing has been attempted, <br />both succesSfully and unsuccessfully before a final <br />decision is made. <br /> <br /> It was noted by both Dr. Mooney and Mr. John Pezzoli, <br />Vice-Chairman of the School Board, that information had been <br />gathered from other school systems, but they agreed that <br />the public may not have been~given enough information on <br />their findings. <br /> <br /> Ms. Couric stated that she had discussed the idea of <br />changing the districts for middle school attendance only and <br />that idea had been received favorably by some Who had <br />opposed the idea of pairing the middle'schools. <br /> <br /> Dr. Hall stated that as an educator he questioned <br />Whether 5th graders were mature enough to be taken out of <br />the elementary schools' ~ <br /> <br /> Dr. Mooney replied that he felt that combining the 5th <br />and 6th graders in a separate environment would address Dr. <br />Hall's concerns. <br /> <br /> <br />