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Pickerington Schools to hold realignment meeting
(by Anne Holmes, staff writer - January 17, 2009)
Pickerington Schools will hold a realignment meeting for residents living in Mingo Estates and along Saylor Road to address their concerns and questions about the upcoming process.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Heritage Elementary School auditorium.
The realignment issue affects a select segment of each community, and school board members want to be certain that everyone affected has an opportunity to comment on the proposed realignment plans, members said.
While some board members noted that the process has been discussed for nearly three years, board president Lori Sanders pointed out at the Jan. 12 meeting that holding another meeting later in January makes certain everyone who would like to comment has an opportunity.
Next school year, the district will open two new elementary schools and a middle school. The goal, school officials say, is to distribute the population throughout the school buildings while taking into account the wishes of students and families.
One area of concern has been keeping students together throughout their educational career. Fine-tuning of recently publicized plans have caused additional changed for some neighborhoods - creating a sense of confusion and uncertainty.
Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia said her office will send a notice of the Jan. 26 meeting either to each address affected or to the communities' homeowners associations. Heritage Elementary School is located at 100 N. East St.
Other news
• Mantia reported that her office is continuing an internal review after cuts were announced in November.
Mantia told board members that the goal to find an additional $500,000 in cuts. She will continue to keep the board and public posted as the review continues.
• The Pickerington School Board elected Sanders as president and Lee Gray as vice president.
The schedule for 2009 meetings was set as well, with all regular meetings of the school board being held on the second Monday of each month. Second meetings will be held the fourth Monday of the month, as needed.
• Board members recognized the achievement of 11 Pickerington Local School District teachers named Master Teacher with one, Danielle Jodi Hall, also achieving National Board Certification, the highest credential available in the teaching profession.
The 11 Master Teachers are Danielle Jodi Hall of Diley Middle School; Beth Hoffman, Patricia Morgan and Jason Swartz of Ridgeview Junior High; Jennifer Russell of Pickerington Elementary; Janie Sheraw of PHS Central; Mary Sheridan of Tussing Elementary; Melinda Thomas of Violet Elementary; Kay Wallace, district math resource teacher; and Cindy Roepcke, district curriculum coordinator.
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