Kokomo-Center Schools Superintendent, Mr. Chris Himsel, will take a recommendation to fully implement the elementary schools phase of the reorganization plan during the 2010-2011 school year to the Board of School Trustees at its March 10th meeting. Approved by the Board June 23, 2008, the elementary school phase of the reorganization plan called for the consolidation of 11 elementary schools into 6 sites at Bon Air, Boulevard, Elwood Haynes, Lafayette Park, Pettit Park, and Sycamore.

     Columbian Elementary was closed and Darrough Chapel Elementary was re-used as the Darrough Chapel Early Learning Center before the start of the current school year. At the conclusion of this school year, Maple Crest, Wallace, and Washington will be closed as elementary schools. Elementary students will attend buildings – Bon Air, Boulevard, Elwood Haynes, Lafayette Park, Pettit Park, and Sycamore - according to the elementary attendance area boundary map that was approved March 2, 2009 by the School Board. Also included in the Superintendent’s recommendation will be the partial implementation of the middle school phase of the reorganization plan. Approved by the Board June 23, 2008, the middle school phase of the reorganization plan called for the consolidation of 4 middle schools into 2 sites at Maple Crest and Central. According to the recommendation, Kokomo-Center 6th and 7th graders will attend either Maple Crest or Central for the 2010-2011 school year based on the middle school attendance area boundary map that was approved March 2, 2009 by the School Board.

    Students who will be 8th graders during the 2010-2011 school year will be allowed to complete their middle school careers at the middle school they attended during the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, the recommendation notes that parents will have some family choices for their 8th graders. For example, if a parent has a 6th or 7th grader attending Central Middle School in 2010-2011 and an 8th grader scheduled to attend Lafayette Park Middle School in 2010-2011, parents have the option of sending the 8th grader to Lafayette Park or transferring to Central to keep family members in the same building.

   Superintendent Himsel explained that the middle school phase couldn’t be fully implemented until the third floor at Central Middle School has been renovated. Central should be ready for full implementation of the middle school phase by the start of the 2011-2012 school year.

   “By accelerating the reorganization timeline, Kokomo-Center Schools is better able to address the current General Fund budget crisis created by our declining enrollment and the Governor’s recent announcement related to K-12 funding throughout the State,” Superintendent Himsel said. “This recommendation allows Kokomo-Center Schools to maintain more reasonable class sizes for our students, while it supports our guiding principle of maximizing student opportunities.”