Keep Wyndsor Creek I in Old Union Elementary School

CISD is considering several school rezoning plans to even out the enrollment in its schools. Most of the rezoning involves Durham Elementary School where the elementary students will be moved out of Durham into a new, but unnamed elementary school. However, they are also proposing moving the students from Timmarons Wyndsor Creek I (the three streets of Longford Drive, Longford Circle and Wyndsor Creek) from Old Union Elementary to Rockenbaugh Elementary.

The parents in Wyndsor Creek I request that the school board keep our neighborhood within OUES for the following reasons:

1.Considering that Old Union is not at capacity, and the fact that only a handful of children (~40) live in Wyndsor Creek and attend Old Union, we believe they should be allowed to continue attending Old Union. By CISDs own projections, even with the Wyndsor Creek I students, Old Union will be far below capacity for the next 10 years. CISD anticipates to be 81.6 percent at capacity in the 2011/2012 school year and falling below 75 percent capacity for several years before rising to a maximum of 85.4 capacity in 10 years. Remaining at the same school provides our children with stability, an important element needed in their education.

2.By moving such a small group of children, many would move not knowing anyone as they may be the only one in their class forced to change. Our students have worked hard to establish relationships with OUES educators, personnel and, more importantly, fellow students and friends. Forcing this small group of students to change schools and abandon their established OUES relationships, will put undue stress on the children, affecting both their social and academic development.

In fact, 2004 study by Drs. Beth Garris-Hardy and Cheryl Vrooman of the University of North Carolina Greensboro said that changing schools is an incredibly stressful life event for a child, as stressful for them as the hospitalization or incarceration of a parent. Already, one student reported to his parents that he would have to change schools next year because, Were not wanted at Old Union anymore. This is first-hand evidence that even the talk of the transfer is stressful for our children.

3.The families of Wyndsor Creek have moved once already for the school board because that was what was best for the city and the schools when you asked us to move from Rockenbaugh to OUES in 2001. Since then, we have embraced the school and made it our own. As concerned parents and citizens of Southlake, we believe we should not be asked to support this kind of transfer again.

4.Many parents on this block currently walk or ride bicycles to OUES via a bike trail with their children in the mornings and afternoons, putting fewer cars on the road and in congested carpool lanes, and creating the friendly environment that caused many of us to move to Southlake in the first place. Rockenbaugh is at least twice as far away on foot, requiring most parents to drive, putting more stress on the already congested carpool lines at Rockenbaugh.

We understand these are difficult choices for the school board. However, we also appreciate that given the existing capacity at Old Union, this move is not absolutely necessary and we would like to request that Wyndsor Creek I students continue to attend Old Union Elementary School.