RFP Staff
♦ With the Central Office construction now underway at least that part of the Rowan-Salisbury school’s “multi-piece jigsaw puzzle” is place. It’s hopeful the board of education will focus now on higher order priorities such as new schools, the consolidation of others, and school maintenance and safety.
There seems to be a growing interest among parents, especially in Salisbury, in changing the school enrollment policy and making “free school open enrollment” an important option. “Free school open enrollment” is nothing new. Back in 2004 a bill to implement “free school open enrollment” in the public schools was considered by the state legislature.
The most common argument against “free choice enrollment” is the concern that students, dwelling in poverty, might lack transportation to go to a preferred school. That issue could addressed easily enough with school transportation, parental carpooling, or other viable options used elsewhere across the United States.
Numerous solid reasons exist for “free school open enrollment” especially in the light of working class parents of all races leaving Salisbury because of the academic state of its schools and other challenges:
• “Free choice open enrollment” would provide more parental control over their children’s academic years. More parental control would likely lead to more parental engagement and responsibility. The school system needs to focus more attention on schools with declining enrollment and make them more attractive by adding special programs not available in the other schools. Rowan-Salisbury schools need additional drawing power to keep parents from leaving the public schools.
• Parental control over where their youngsters attend school would reduce the flight of students from the public schools to charter schools, private schools, or joining with their parents in the flight out of Salisbury. Those schools are competing with you, why not compete back?
• “Free choice open enrollment” would lead to students moving to a school more conducive to learning which may effect better academic performance.
