-
Sep 7, 2006 6:30 pm US/Central
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Overcrowding Leaves Some Students Out Of School
Parents Demanding Enrollment For Their Children
by Pamela Jones
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
While most students are settling in to their school routine, on Thursday a group of parents spent the day demanding their kids be enrolled.
But the school district says the schools are simply overcrowded.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports from
Tarkington School of Excellence on the South Side where the cap for enrollment here is 1,024 students.
Right now, there are 1,091 students attending classes. But several students have been left out and their parents want to know why.
Parents, who gathered at the school on Thursday, say they think some kids are being favored over others. They say they live near this school and their kids should be allowed in.
"They automatically transferred my other two kids here because of the zoning," said mother Danielle Nelson. "And now you're telling me my third one can't come because you are overcrowded. How are you going to separate my kids?"
"We pay property taxes just like everyone else," said Victoria Pewitt-Williams, the sister of a student. "And I feel that they are calling children from other schools to come over here when the kids that are already in the neighborhood are not in the school."
The district said the school is a controlled enrollment situation where overcrowding forces them to bus students to other schools.
Tarkington and 10 other schools nearby are under controlled enrollment.
"Today we met with parents and the principal at Ashburn was able to accommodate their needs. Tomorrow we'll have transportation here and someone from our office will be here," said Jacqueline Anderson at the Office of School Coordination.
That plan is of little consolation to the parents at Tarkington, who say they will be taking their complaint to the school board.
The school district does conduct a survey before the school year starts to determine enrollment, but it does not account for students who have recently moved into the area.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)