Equal Choice Fact Sheet

• Six new boundary areas were created for Batavia's elementary schools. The westside attendance area is composed of all housing West of Randall Rd.; South of McKee to Van Nortwick between McKee and Main St.; and between Wilson and Main from Van Nortwick to the river.
• EC does not address the merits or characteristics of either of Batavia's instructional programs.
• EC honors the board's decisions to relocate the McWayne MI program to the westside school and their definition of the boundary for the school.
• EC calls for all students to receive the conventional method of instruction at their attendance boundary school by allowing both programs to coexist in one school. The board's decision allows for 5/6's of the community to receive conventional instruction at their boundary school, but not for the westside residents. Westside parents understand they will need to apply to the school board with a request to place their student in a conventional program. Adequate reasons need to be given and requests can be accepted or denied. 5/6's of the community does not need to apply to or give any reasons to the board to be able to have their student receive conventional instruction.
• EC maintains that parents of an elementary school student may make a personal, family decision to choose the MI program for their child. The board's decision maintains that personal, family choice for 5/6's of the community, but not for westside residents. They are being assigned by boundary to the MI program, which is to be the only program offered at that school.
• EC speaks for all current and future students on the westside and our community. It asks that all policies and decisions for the district be enacted equitably. The board's decision causes 5/6's of the community to have a clear knowledge of the choices before them and which of two schools their student may attend (conventional boundary school or westside MI). The westside residents have not yet received clear-cut choices. We know of one school choice available to us by boundary (westside MI) and continue to wonder what our other choice(s) might be. (Will they be the same for all of us; the same for younger siblings; the same for my new neighbor who will move in next year?) The board's grandfathering/transition plan does not address the equal choice issue. According to the April 4, 2000 board meeting minutes, long-term grandfathering will not be recommended.