Cape transfer policy a 'gray area'

Ambiguity surrounds a policy that allows some students to attend schools outside of their attendance zone, Cape Girardeau School Board members argued this week.

Frequently, students who move within the district are allowed to stay at their original school to cut down on problems adjusting to a new school. Policy allows the superintendent or principal to grant such exceptions if parents provide transportation.

While most of the board members agree with the intention of the policy, some said current guidelines leave open the possibility for unfair application.

"There is a lot of gray area as to when this can be applied. We need to define when a student can remain in school or when they need to move to a different school," board president Kyle McDonald said.

He said questions remain about how long an exception can last -- whether it be for the remainder of the school year or for the length of the child's elementary career. What to do with younger siblings of children granted an exception also needs to be addressed, McDonald said.

"The process needs to be more objective rather than subjective," he said.

The district does not keep documentation of exceptions granted by principals or the superintendent; in the past, they have been agreed to orally. For that reason, it is unclear how many intradistrict transfers have been granted. Estimates range from between two dozen and three dozen.

"We do not have transfer forms. That's probably why we have things going on that we don't know about," said Charles Bertrand. He said the current method of granting exceptions is too political.

Because the policy is open to interpretation, how it has been applied historically depends on the superintendent at the time, Stacy Kinder said.

The attendance zone policy hits home for Kinder, newly elected to the school board. Two of Kinder's children attend Clippard Elementary, although she moved to the Jefferson Elementary attendance zone in the fall. Students at Clippard historically score between 15 and 35 percentage points higher on state tests than their Jefferson counterparts.

Kinder was granted the exception by former superintendent Dr. David Scala and Clippard principal Sydney Herbst. Herbst is a strong supporter of allowing children to stay in their original classroom despite an intradistrict move, saying research has shown children who stay perform better academically. She said it can be difficult for students to adjust to a new teacher and classmates in the middle of the year.

The board and district have pushed for common curriculum and assessments to cut down on transitions required for students moving between schools.

Kinder said her family knew three years ago they were going to be moving and began to ask questions about policy. "The confusion for me has been in discussing what happens next year," she said.

Board member Paul Nenninger worries the policy only benefits families that can afford to provide transportation to their original school. McDonald, however, said six out of seven students granted an exception at Clippard Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Many families rely on grandparents, he said.

The board did not make any changes to the attendance zone policy Monday, opting to form a committee to study the issue. Members will include interim superintendent Pat Fanger, incoming superintendent Dr. Jim Welker, McDonald and board member Dr. Steve Trautwein.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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