Cape has room for 63 transfer students

~ Parents of Blanchard and Jefferson students are being offered the move under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The Cape Girardeau School District could move a maximum of 63 students from Jefferson and Blanchard elementary schools to the three other elementary schools in the district to comply with federal law, school officials said Friday.

Such transfers come under the "school choice" provision of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

For the second consecutive year, Jefferson and Blanchard schools didn't make adequate yearly progress in state test scores. Jefferson School failed to meet this year's goals in both communication arts and math. Blanchard's black students failed to meet the goal in communication arts.

Under the federal law, parents have to be offered the opportunity to move their children to other elementary schools in the district.

Combined, Jefferson and Blanchard have more than 600 students in kindergarten through fourth grade. But the district only has to allow as many students to transfer as it has space available in the other schools, officials said.

While the district currently could handle 63 transfers, assistant superintendent Pat Fanger said the number could change slightly depending on whether any students leave Alma Schrader, Franklin or Clippard schools or other students living in those neighborhood districts enroll this fall.

Parents will have to fill out an application form by Oct. 13 if they wish to have their children transferred to another elementary school.

The district plans to notify parents by Nov. 30 if their children have been approved for transfer to another elementary school. Any transfers won't take place until the start of the second semester in January, school officials said.

In a Friday letter to parents of children attending Jefferson and Blanchard schools, superintendent Dr. David Scala outlined the procedures the district will follow to comply with the law.

School officials said the guidelines and application form also will be posted on the district's Web site. An application form accompanied Friday's letter as did information detailing just how many students the other three schools can accept by grade. Parents can mail, e-mail or fax their applications to the principals at Jefferson and Blanchard schools, Fanger said.

Alma Schrader has room for six third-graders. Clippard could handle six second-graders, 12 third-graders and 18 fourth-graders. Franklin has room for 15 first-graders and six third-graders.

The number of classroom openings is based on desirable class size standards set by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, school officials said. For kindergarten through second grade, the standard is 20 students per class. For third and fourth grades, the standard is 22 students per class.

Priority for transfers will be given to low-income students -- those receiving free or discounted school lunches -- who scored the lowest on the Missouri Assessment Program tests or other assessment tests this past year. Students in kindergarten, first and second grades don't take MAP tests, so other tests are used to judge their academic skills, school officials said.

Higher-scoring low-income students will get second priority, followed by the highest-scoring low-income students and then by students who don't receive free and discounted lunches.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123