PLAN TO CORRECT RACIAL IMBALANCE AT ALCORN SCHOOL
The Board of Education of the Enfield Public Schools has made a commitment to reconfigure the elementary schools for the start of the FY11-12 school year. The reconfiguration plan calls for closing/reutilizing at least two (2) of the current elementary school buildings. Thomas Alcorn Elementary School will be one of the buildings under consideration for closure/reutilization.
If selected for closure/reutilization, the Alcorn School student population will be dispersed to other schools. Based on the low minority percentages in some of the other schools, an influx of former Alcorn School students should still keep those schools below the imbalance rate.
If the Alcorn School is not selected for closure, it will not reopen in September 2011 as a PK-6th grade building. All 6th graders in the Enfield Public Schools will be assigned to Kennedy Middle School for the start of the FY11-12 school year. The Alcorn School would be reconfigured to either a PK-2 or a 3-5 grade building for September 2011. That reconfiguration will require the transfer of students from other schools to Alcorn School. The District will monitor the transfers to ensure racial balance.
In summary, the present PK-6 grade Alcorn School will either be closed/reutilized or its grade structure will be reconfigured for September 2011. Either scenario should make the racial imbalance a moot point.
06-22-10
