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Posted: April 2003 |
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This letter was received by some parents with students at Jackie Mae Townsell announcing revisions to school assignments to relieve overcrowding at Townsell. |
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Posted: April 2003 |
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This letter was received by some parents with students at Jackie Mae Townsell announcing revisions to school assignments to relieve overcrowding at Townsell. |
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September 16, 2003 To Parents of Jackie Mae Townsell Elementary Students Dear Irving ISD Parent: The Irving ISD is usually very accurate in planning for enrollment at its thirty-seven campuses. However, on August 21, 2003 Jackie Mae Townsell Elementary School opened with far more than its projected 654. This new elementary school could possibly accommodate about 700 and meet state statutory requirements for maximum class enrollment (22 per room), but the 952 students enrolled on the third day of school has proven to pose unexpected enrollment growth that must be resolved to meet legal requirements. Steps have already been taken by the Townsell administrative staff to remove students with addresses outside the Townsell attendance area and transfer requests have been revoked. These measures have reduced the enrollment to about 870, but further adjustments must be made to get down to about 700. Since additional classrooms cannot be timely provided to satisfactorily resolve the overcrowding, it has become necessary to move some students to other nearby school locations where there are vacancies in mainstream as well as special program classes. In determining how to make the necessary reductions in Townsell’s enrollment, the District has considered the number of students who would be involved, which school they would attend, and how they would go to and from school each day. A review of the enrollment patterns for Townsell indicate that assigning students from Oak Tree, Apple and Hillcrest apartments to T.J. Lee Elementary School and from Bridgeport and Sable Point apartments to Thomas Haley Elementary School would provide the reductions in enrollment necessary to bring Townsell back into compliance with state class size limits and still not create overcrowding at Thomas Haley and T.J. Lee. This letter is your notification that, as of Monday, September 22, 2003, your son or daughter will be withdrawn from Jackie Mae Townsell and enrolled at either T.J. Lee or Thomas Haley, depending on the apartment complex in which you live, as indicated above. In either case, your child is eligible for school bus transportation to school. The bus will begin to pick up students on Monday, September 22. The pick up and drop off location will be at the main entrance of the apartment complex. Pickup will be sometime between 6:20 and 6:40 AM and drop off between 3:30 and 4:00 PM. This action is taken with regret for the disruption it may cause for you and your child. The District will do everything possible to make the transition from Townsell to T.J. Lee or Thomas Haley easy and trouble free. Mr. Lane Ladewig, Division Director for K-12 Campus Operations and Dr. Whit Johnstone, Division Director for Planning, Evaluation & Research, are available to answer questions that you may have about reassigning your child from Townsell to T.J. Lee or Thomas Haley. They can be reached by calling 972-215-5023 for Mr. Ladewig or 972-215-5085 for Dr. Johnstone. Questions about transportation for your child from your home to T.J. Lee or Thomas Haley may be addressed to Mr. John Walker, the District’s transportation coordinator at 972-261-5100. The Irving ISD sincerely regrets the necessity of changing your child’s campus assignment at this time, but it is a necessary measure to maintain the District’s compliance with state elementary school class size limits. This new school assignment will remain in effect at least for the balance of the 2003-2004 school year. If it appears that a permanent change might be required to ensure compliance with class size requirements in the future, it is possible that this reassignment might be brought to the school board for approval as a school boundary change in the spring of 2004. Your child will receive a warm welcome at his or her new school. New teacher assignments for students will be made by the principals at T.J. Lee and Thomas Haley Elementary Schools. Mrs. Vicki Grider is the principal at T.J. Lee (972-261-2600) and Mrs. Jean Batty is the principal at Thomas Haley (972-261-2500). Important student information, including information about special programs and free/reduced meal participation, will be automatically moved from Townsell to the new school by the time students arrive on September 22, 2003. Enrollment will be automatic and parents will not need to register the students again at the new school. Your patience and understanding as this change takes place is greatly appreciated.
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