By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
It’s not a mass exodus, but so far, 12 families have applied to remove their children from Kenwood Elementary School and place them in private facilities. Eight of those 12 children are incoming kindergartners.
The requests to leave Kenwood came after the state declared the elementary to be an EdChoice school. That designation means parents of Kenwood students can access scholarships for their students to attend parochial or private schools.
For each child leaving Kenwood, the school district loses $1,900 per year, Superintendent Francis Scruci said after Tuesday’s board of education meeting. The private schools taking in the students get “scholarships” of $4,650 a year for K-8 grades, and $6,000 a year for 9-12 grades.
Scruci repeated his assurances about Kenwood Elementary.
“Kenwood is not a failing school,” he said. “The staff is working very hard to provide a quality education.”
The EdChoice designation came a couple months after school officials got the good news from the state that all the buildings in the Bowling Green School District had been removed from the Ohio Improvement Process, based on progress the district made in student growth. District-wide, Bowling Green was recognized for its improvements.
However, the district was then informed by the state that Kenwood had been designated an EdChoice school. The data used to declare Kenwood as EdChoice were the K-3 literacy results from 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2017-18. Any district getting a D or F grade in two of those three years made the EdChoice list.
The “flawed” state testing system failed to take into account the progress made at Kenwood that got the building off the OIP list, Scruci said.
Even if Kenwood sheds the EdChoice designation in a few years, the expenses could linger. According to Scruci, the state program allows parents of kindergartners to take them out of the public school and place them in private facilities all the way through graduation.
“We’ll play by the rules of the state and we’ll dig our way out of it,” Scruci said.
But losing the state funding for the students leaving won’t help.
“That makes our task very difficult,” he said.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that the economic demographics have changed for many students who go to Kenwood.
“We do have a poverty issue in this district. I know we’re not supposed to talk about that,” he said. “Those kids are coming to us less prepared.”
“Do we have struggling readers at Kenwood? Absolutely,” Scruci said. “Are we doing work to address this? Absolutely. Every kid can learn and every kid deserves an education.”
Last month, Scruci assured parents that Kenwood is delivering the same quality educations that have been provided in the past.
“If I had a child of elementary age, my kids would go to Kenwood, and I’d be very comfortable with that,” he said.
Board President Ginny Stewart asked anyone with concerns to spend some time in Kenwood classrooms.
“It’s heartbreaking that we are evaluated on this flawed system,” she said. “It’s disconcerting.”
Board member Norm Geer echoed the praise for teachers.
“I think we appreciate how hard elementary teachers work,” he said.
Kenwood Principal Kathleen Daney asked those at the board meeting to reach out to state legislators about the report card system.
“This district will be losing money based on a very, very small piece of the picture,” she said of the K-3 literacy testing, which may soon be removed from the state testing program.
But some citizens wanted more answers from the board about the EdChoice designation. Grant Chamberlain said he was approached by a Kenwood parent who had not been informed of her choices. He put her in touch with BG Christian Academy and St. Aloysius School.
“What are we going to do to make sure everyone knows what their options are,” Chamberlain asked.
When no one the board responded quickly enough, Chamberlain said “Really?”
Stewart said she was about to ask for board input, when Chamberlain interrupted.
Scruci said all parents at Kenwood should be aware, because he sent out emails to every family at the elementary.
Richard Chamberlain voiced his criticism of the “mess” with the EdChoice designation at Kenwood. He also said the school board gave the public no time to address the extension of the contract with financial consultant David Conley, prior to it being voted on last month.
And Richard Strow said he found the effort to blame the state for the EdChoice designation as disingenuous.
“Unfortunately, we failed,” he said. “To me, it’s a terrible embarrassment to be on the list.”
Strow said he wanted to know the extent of the fallout and the cost to the district.
“I’d just like to know the total of what that is,” he said.
Strow also insisted that the district share its process for digging out.
“Tell us exactly and specifically what you’re changing to get us off the list,” he said.
He accused the district of failing the public, the taxpayers and the students.
Bowling Green City Council member Sandy Rowland spoke last, and offered the board her support.
“I’m proud of you,” she said. “This is a difficult time. I want to praise you for your hard work.”
