Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutUpset Over Rezoning-1995 Redrawn school Present school boundaries By Mike Berry OF THE SENONEL STAFF LM ..$I SANFORD — A better mix of black r xxr '. and white kids, poor and well-off kids. N" :$,y„° That's an underlying theme in the re- drawing of Seminole County school 40,1' 1r1 zone boundnries.111, But county demographics make Lr IS . such diversity difficult.And many par- _ ants —Mack and white — have ques- 1] f OL ' boned whether it's worth moving stu- n,A; r dents further distances to achieve it. r i - Seminole is one of the most affluent r a` '3'' counties in the state. There are pock- LB Lake Brantley High L Lyman High ets of poverty in the southwest and east corners, but low-income house- LH Lake Howell High 0 Oviedo High holds are overwhelmingly concentrat- LMLake Mary High S Seminole High ed in the north end, around Sanford and Seminole High School. THE ORLANDO SENTINEL Of 11 U.S. Census tracts in Seminole zones try to fix the mix money per student in Sanford schools High school forum set for Oviedo tha draw w from more affluent areas, some parents argue, tend to get a By Mike Berry would redraw school zones for the greater share of booster and PIA sup- Of THE SENTINEL Srr opening of Winter Springs High in port and additional state funding for 1997. advanced placement programs. The task force will then convene to Winter Springs High Schbol opens OVIEDO — A third public forum narrow the field to two or three in 1997,and five widely varying rezon- on Seminole County high school modified plans, which will be the ing plans have been drawn up to work zones Will begin at 7 p.m.Tuesday at subject of a School Board public from Oviedo High School. hearing at 6 p.m. May 17 at Lake In most of those plans it is black stu- Members of a rezoning task force, Howell High School. dents who are being moved to mostly composed of educators and parents, Depending on the plan, the white schools to achieve a better mix. will listen to comments and sugges- "To put it mildly, it's being done on tions about five varying plans that Please see FORUM,.1(4 the back of African-Americans," said Henry Sweet, president of the West- side Community Association, which where the the median home is worth Some 400 students live in one tract, represents the mostly black Goldsboro less than $60,000, 10 are in the north about a square mile, with a median community of Sanford. end. The area is also dense in homes home value of$40,000. with children in school. The school district spends more Please see ZONES,K-4 C7 ,C9 17//( Forums must consider changing population FORUM from K-1 expected to open near Oviedo, be- Oviedo High to Seminole High. tween Old Lockwood Road and When the new boundaries go Tuscawilla community is zoned Lockwood Boulevard. into effect,juniors and seniors can entirely for Winter Springs High, When that happens,residents of stay at their present schools if eyitely for Oviedo High,or divid east Tuscawilla would have to they provide transportation. edJgtween the two. move back to the Oviedo High Some students may be affected Many Tuscawilla residents want zone to even out the school popu- earlier. Lake Howell is about to to move to the new high school in lotions,Kramer said. undergo major renovation and Winter Springs, said school plan- Under each of the five plans, Oviedo High School is getting ' ner Dianne Kramer. most or all of the students in Deer some extra space. If it turns out The problem with including the Run would attend Winter Springs that some Lake Howell students east side of Tuscawilla in the Win- High. are rezoned to Oviedo High zone, ter Springs High zone is that Under one plan Black Ham- they will most likely make the arouAd 2004 a new high.school is mock and Geneva shift from move in the 1996-97 school year. Sentiment in favor of neighborhood schools ZONES from K-1 1970 desegregation order. But Leon Brooks of Sanford doesn't some of the five rezoning plans go understand the logic. Under several lens, Goldsboro even further. "I want a sense of community residents would be rezoned from Under one plan the percentage for black people in this town,' Seminole High to Lake Mary of black students at Seminole Brooks told members of a rerun- g y High would shrink from 37 per- ing task force recently. "They HSwh cent to 22 percent. And the per- need ... a sense of their karttege, Sweet said that although no one they need td feel like they be- wants to turn the clock back on centage of blacks at Lake Mary integration, it's insulting to as- High would increase from 11 per- long." some that the quality of a school cent to 23.90 percent. As a social worker, I have Pee- increases with the percentage of The same plan would send the ants I can't get to Seminole High white students. mostly community black i of Mid- School. How in the world do you ty think I can get them to Winter "What you're inferring is that way from Seminole High to Springs?"he said. blacks by and large don't Oviedo High School, almost dou- Few parents would argue that achieve,"he said. Ming the percentage of black stu- dents there. more diversity in schools is a lofty Under a 1981 court order, the ' held s But at every public meeting black student population at Semi- Another plan has Midway stu- held so far on the rezoning issue, nole High cannot substantially ex- dents attending Winter Springs the prevailing sentiment has been ceed 35 percent of the student High, which would otherwise be in favor of keeping neighborhoods body. The district is also under a virtually all-white. schools. Qso V /6 7: WINTER SPRINGS Thefts/break-Ins • Belle Avenue, 1200 block, between 5:30 p.m. June 5 and 8:15 am. June 8. Someone entered to ad yobs of a School zoning favors house and took a boat prop valued at $300 from a boat stored in ibs yard. affluent area of county • Can Park Circle, 800 block, be- tween 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 3. Some- one stole a watch valued at$2,000 from an SEMINOLE COUNTY needs to get rid • Sd hou Boulevard,300 block, 11:22 of this School Board and start over. We p.m.June 2.Someone stole hvo gob carts nerd a board that understands what the valued at 88,800 from an apartment coo- R'ord"fait'm means. plea. ' When the new high school attendance • Staling Drive,800 dock, 10:30 p.m. ions were drawn up, "the relatively af- June 3.Someone attempted to break into fluent Lake Brantley school zone re- a house maned virtually • State Road 434, 300 block, 3:40 ncerns of intact, addressing the p.m. June 4. M employee of a canven- parents there,"according to a ience store reported that a man gave him 18 Orlando Sentinl story. four counterfeit 820 bills to dry two money The plan G map shows a orders. the Seminole pocket area in • State Road 434,700 block,between board had stated that it intended ded to get 8 a.m. May 15 and 8 am.June 8.Some- rid of all pockets. one stole 51 pounds of frean gas from win- dow units olaschool. I'm 65 years old and have no children • State Road 434, 900 bock 11:18 in school, but I am interested in the wel- p.m.June 1. Someone broke into the cart fare of the children in Seminole County. shed of a golf course and stole a cart vat- Who is going to address the concerns of ued at 64,000. the parents and children who live in the • U& tllgkwy I7.*Ste S be- Midway area? tween e78 sat.and 8a0 Pm AIM e It Is was true?tI I not.expression "money talks" •611 business', g sae a a Beth lbi Greene Auto thefts/burglarise WINTER SPRINGS • Papaya Lane, 900 block, between midnight and 7 am. June 8. Someone broke into a car parked at a house and ae- tivated the � feNe ognet y sW Ilewnaaol house slept the intruder took a compeer valued at$1,800 and a monitor valued at $300. Harassment • Lod Mn Circle, 100 block, between CI c 0 G 1/ 10:22 p.m.June 6 and 12:45 a.m.June 7. A beman reported that a man obscene statements n made nts w her. Parents challenge busing plan Petition attacks a proposal to send Winter Springs students to Sanford By SARA ROEN -. Ncxs EDITOR or Txr:owrcan vo'ct: The 50-plus member IMk force The parameters used by the task A group of Winter Springs par- was created to identify studentuMen- force were that zones be kept as corn- ents has started a petition drive this dance issuetexpected when Winter pact as possible, each high school's week challenging a school board re- Springs High School opens in 1996. capacities be adjusted to reflect areas zoning proposal that would require The group is comprised of parents. of anticipated growth. avoid the cre- more than 2.000 students to be bused principals and county officials. Ms. ation of "islands' that isolate nearly 10 miles from their homes. Kramer said.The intent is to identifi' indentifiable socioeconomic or eth- Parents from the Highlands and and resolve attendance problems be nic/racial groups. to maintain subdi- Wildwood subdivisions say they will fore the school opens. `We want real vision integrity and that "movement be collecting signatures from through- input before that."she said. of students from one attendance area out their community to voice objet- Of the five sections in the study, to another beyond what is needed to comply with these parameters should lions to one of the concepts listed in p. pa a study being conducted by the Semi- Plan D would involve the transfer of be minimized.' she explained. note County School Board. Group more than 1000 students from Win- Parents say Plan D"doesn't make members say they will present the sig- ter Springs High School to Seminole any sense."Tim Pelland.y'ho moved natures at when the board meets on High School in Sanford. Proposed to the Highlands last year, said each May 17. the first public hearing on Plan A calls for the tranfer of 567 stu- ofliis four children eventually would the final plan. dents: B:555 students: C:625, and ' be affected if such a plan were ap- Diane Kramer.the board's execu- Plan E which would rezone about proved. He said he bought his home the director of facilities. said rumors 1.0011 students, she said. in WWter Springs intending that his about the study arc "rampant.- but Parents became alarmed after children attend the new school. unfounded. The controversial pro- hearing estimates that Plan D could Jan Dowd. who helped form the posal is not the preferred choice. In save the county more than$100,000. pass mots group of parents,said the fact.she acknowledged.it has the big- making it an attractive option. How- $102.000 figure for sayings saved as gest and worst impact on residents ever,Ms. Kramer said,cost was not a a"red flag" to her. "Don't move my and students parameter for the study,and thus.will ' Continued on Page 10 The 25 residents met Monday not be the deciding factor. She added night to learn more about the study that the amount was calculated by the and how to effectively oppose the per- school board's route manager lion to which they object. They say We haven't spent a lot of time they understand the county's need to analyzing that information."Kramer manage school crowding.but want it said. accomplished practically and Without gross inconvenience to families 9 g 6 z77.2_ 0 Busing DY v/zoI t Continued from Pagel ._ kids and tell me it saves money."she ing their children to Lyman or Lake said Tuesday. Howells high schools because they are Ms. Dowd attended one of sew- in proximity to their homes. • eral task force presentations being Ms. Kramer said the task force held throughout Seminole County, will continue presenting the study and said she is concerned that par- throughout the county and will take ents aren't aware of the study.That's comments from the public to write its why the group is important, she said. final proposal for school board con- Dowd and Pelland said parents sideration. don't object to the busing issue, but That plan.Kramer said.will con- see no logic in sending their children tam "the best' of information col- more than eight miles away when leacd from the series of hearings.And three high schools exist within two to from that plan,the school board will three miles of their homes. Both said hold a series of public hearings and they would have no objections to bus- eventually put the issue to vote. qS { ao oe J e e m B ' c s d a .° - v'9 h y E c n o c 0 0 v w e c •- y sv u H .= m E vm e 24 5 v m =E . ° - ? a e E u° s E — a 0 A — Y 0 $, e .=Et n a2 B . a C a E o c c I; E02 C F d c °c E $ g _ i e u c 9 = 0 $.Q L G C g▪ G L m ' 8 E0 e $ 0 E m e s e n wa ■ E = p $ .° v y0 ` � V1 u F' .°+ v. v W 'O L o cc co. C) , 'O 0 L G N N y O W p Y Co G E '°-• a Ct v L 2 $ v c U V c e E ,ce b a g _ o v v mss° _ . • c $ t E ° - - a E r 9SuV Vda : E v c t a a°e= 2 g 8 a 2 2 '2 E q v 6 G v u E em^ L C y N m O W V 8f. N N �i 0 -0 N a C ,. d N ° 8g ,- 0 o fP.,v, a . s ,w em W . m . L 3 .NO88 ° ° 8b — O In _ 4V� c5 EEav 'S_ "x EB '▪ ` - L 8 E g y b C O 63 aE � a . . E7 � V L 6t•C � 9 $ ' I=ay0 - O ^ 'yn p a N� m.•G• O L /�� u a5 y 0 'y O VJ p p 0 O b. i.e. Et2 tisO � m \V = ti 3 " 3mY -OBE � e c 05E mm ,-FE .-. a _2 C ° -2 = y 2 mc_c 'n imC ES ezL `� F .g �B SS 8006 �p - e. ... gN E . 8 g g B Pts � G ' ° °E mv 0 75 L E L p O L C a W a E g Z o U e. o : S N ti , 8 °.8 = 1 s t ' �O `Z "a Q ` 6 O O ,..e, -5 Y • o L = C Lam e0Oa C b M' 0 E vm r o• es pa E _ 8 _ E Z `'goq0 c= cc ? tae ml= c o °e yu p_ apP L�` �'5y c ° m o • u040Ea s � aa a=C d 'J 'y' NSMQ0y my b d� E e d c te agga ° a8 � =$v89m E gOE �t�j .9<2 ve {{TTr � c ,#o M ++ sBSs \ mca eGO.. � ' o `°" `� C" c000a N Y m_ L S 00 b S 3 r c 0 ° C d a •O W fV b " gp Z % -8 .p aPLm y O - cy„' Ema$ y Z. co• g.-8 -828 D C yi L.. i C Parents vow to continue fight against school plan Continued from Page 1 When an audience member schools. shouted out that that was racism, Strickler "I admit that. He also cited the community's desire to retain its "synergy," swing Otherwise,why would newcomers to that churches and schools form the the county,new whites to the county, backbone of a community's identity. be being told your measure of a school "Is it sound?Is it fair?Is it inter- is a percent ofblacks.That's B.S.and natty consistent?"Sweet asked the as- we all know it." sembled body in closing. For their part, both Barcus and In his comments before the vote, Sweet said after the meeting that they Strickler conceded that it wasn't fair. would continue their respective fights "I don't disagree with any black indi- against Plan G. "There will still be vidual who spoke tonight,"he said."I interest in seeing that our community can't walk in your shoes, 'cause I'm will be kept together," Barcus said, not black,but I can try to understand, " we will continue to pursue this." and I would be royally—pardon my As for Sanford's African-Ameri- French—pissed off." can contingent, they began circolat- Stricklerthenjustified the bussing ing petitions immediately following plan by saying that the plan might cor- the board's vote and were discussing rect long-held and unjust perceptions plans to hold rallies decrying the de- about Seminole High. • - cision. affected communities may "When I moved into this county yet seek egal intervention, and the in 1979," Strickler said "newcomers NAACP has pledged its support to the to this county were told,'Don't move community's cause. to the Seminole High school district. Why? 'Oh, the percent of blacks is pretty high up there.' It's still going 9,3-o4. 9 on,and I'm damn tired of it. "This is the only chance we're got to start the change there. And yes, it does send probably a disproportionate amount of blacks to what otherwise would be mostly-white school dis- tricts." High school- zoning plan angers black parents By Mike Berry - OF THE eelnaEL S<AFF Next up on rezorti SANFORD — Some black parents Seminole efementasy in north Seminole County plan to pro- Seminole yr CY 1 , 1CTtTiCil 3f' _ test the Seminole County School Board's new high school zoning plan By Mike Berry _ - -It. nit deli's' lice 1 this week before a final vote on the - mentu. scicxYn' tie - plan. vrre edrriibr�r. : ' - �yirnl�l I�es�l .. by i6e n snnif� The board tentatively approved new Ether iii zones in May that place about 800 stu- �klFlth hiah school re* ing RfKe behind .4 t.L...'''• :r dents in the Sanford area who would dtzar,M •rceiase,the Sane- lira,With ••:• .... •.. °"• • o ounty hoot district next be k ri rl Map of new districts:K-70 itseMp6tton to elementary - One9rea or::.. c,. "-:":;: , up into five ale have gone to Seminole High into the ' ' d will adopt new . zppes, includipg,Y4p •uyu^ ... ; new Wmter Springs High in 1997. tg {ones oh Tuesday, That will lnrbapL' -• r' sv:: : ...•. Of those 800 students, about 500 are whiskwl9-.geidto"eftect when Wm. dren eon atipaa"._:c. Y' from the black communities of Midway, ter Screws High opens as/be coun- schools, said:Nancy `.... • .Cs Washington Oaks and Georgetown. t5's seventh -_•.. reefer of eb.S:.tery a:lipo}A.. t The plan reduces the percentage rlg/11 .Reae r '.1Q Agcktkr k.ne u black students at Seminole High — middle schools. next et9Joe1; ; tore of yesr-rout¢ -' helping to satisfy a federal desegrega- Minrstratore hated 't Serhinnie County` lion older - and prevents the new on elemei?tprp .,v,1.4;.:...1.46. . rezoning would allr.W n ' high school from being overwhelm- ingly white. - fa,+• r:fr _".. elimtpate tt+l:. . . �h. i School Board members will vote to aalhtrte Cain tieift scMels ur.: Z r i. adopt the new zoning plan at a 7 p.m. St, y '3, to have new said. y r� meeting Tues t o '"'', g day. There is but format k? . • uatr 1 so students A new Wm911 a public hearing scheduled but public t,, ::•.',....... w tracks in much- gehgol +t`uf "' ?ij comments will likely be allowed. . landd R "• Henry Sweet,president of the West- - z'- I ppK c'ss wifl mint, ,•to'Gi}. u, side Community Association, said the onr ase.l tbh' high schools A. perttdtting'' r F': . black parents feel they are having to rommittea of ps»rtt and educators school E•" • ' :^.i';"1:':%iii•,:.:... E. bear the burden of creating ethnic di- `vi l COp` fanre'tlnte m.Jul'.Kra- Bouieyiwt . mar said until,Jtn .x varsity in the schools, when they eery}yj7, • would prefer to attend the closer - Seminole High. You have virtually ..,,-,..,.,r. 1 s, no whites bused in this diversity equation. That's the sum of the prob- nity sentiments. what they wanted. He noted that lem," Sweet said. "I haven't heard a Like many parents who spoke at some residents of Tuscawilla were urt single parent express interest in go- public forums in the spring, Sweet happy about being split into two. ing to Winter Springs High." and other Sanford area residents zones — the new high school am/- Parents from several black commu- would have preferred another plan Oviedo High School. nitles have been meeting for months that kept more students in neighbor- School district officials are working to discuss the zoning plan. Sweet said hood schools, on ways to help students and parents he doesn't believe the School Board Superintendent Paul Hagerty said it in north Seminole get to meetings can be persuaded to change its mind is wrong to suggest that only black and extracurricular activities at the but wants them to respond to commu- parents opposing the plan didn't get new high school. 9so 6, Q 5 School board's rezoning plan has Winter Springs Commission upset BY TIMOTHY ALLEN CONKLIN in the city's favor would have helped Winter Springs City Commis- to appease Tuscawilla residents still sioners are unhappy with the Semi- upset about'the city's dealings con- nole County School Board's decision cerning the Marketplace at Oviedo last Wednesday to proceed with a re- Crossing mall project earlier this year. zoning plan that will split Tuscawilla- "[The city] has had problems with area high school students between Tuscawilla over the mall,and we kind Oviedo High School and the new of wanted to go to bat for them on Winter Springs High School, which this,"he said."It just wasn't to be this will open in 1997. time." "We're very disappointed with The commissioners are still hope- the way they drew up the zones,"corn- ful that modifications might still be missioner John Ferring said Monday made to the rezoning plan. Of par- "We knew that all of Winter Springs titular interest to the commissioners wouldn't go to the new school,but we is legal action that may be taken by didn't expect them to split Tuscawilla the African-American community in in half." Sanford.Parents there are upset with The rezoning plan will send high the county's plans to bus two-thirds school students in Tuscawilla who live of the black high school population west of Howell Branch Road to Win- out of the Seminole High School zone ter Springs High,while those who live to three other county schools,includ- east of Howell Branch will continue ing Winter Springs High. to attend Oviedo High. "Will Sanford attempt legal ac- The City of Winter Springs sent tion to stop this busing?" Ferring a letter,signed by all five commission- asked."I think there's still a possibil- ers, to the school board June 26, re- ity that this is not set in stone, and questing that the board reconsider the that once the smoke clears modifica- split. That night; the board voted tions will be made.That's what we're unanimously; 5-0, to approved Plan hoping for." QS© G without amendment. Conniff also is keeping an eye on 7 o We went out of our way to work the possibility of such legal action, with[the school board],but they don't saying,"I know the people in Sanford want to work with the city"commis- aren't happy, and I don't think that sioner and deputy mayor John busing is the answer.When you try to Langellotti said Monday. "They just shove something down people's made the decision of what they throats,everybody loses." thought was best for the city. As for how the city will work with "I try to understand their position the school board in the future, —that they have to look after all of Langellotti hinted that the city may the students in Seminole County — take a harder line in its dealings. but it seems like they could have bent "When they come to us with different a little on this. They want to use our things, we'll really have to take a park(Central Winds Park).This is not closer look," he said. "I feel like we a one-way street" shouldn't give them any concessions Commissioner Larry Conniffsaid at all, and I personally feel that I'm Monday he had hoped that a decision going to be hard-nosed about that."