School Choice Forum seeks suggestions from parents

Their children had 90-minute bus rides to schools in Fort Myers. They were assigned a school that wasn't among their top five choices. They were sent to schools in unfamiliar neighborhoods.

The 6-year-old School Choice program is changing, though, and the Lee County School District wants to hear suggestions from parents and community members living in Bonita, Estero and San Carlos Park. The district is holding a public forum that starts at 7 p.m. Monday in the auditorium of Estero High.

Administrators will explain components of five options suggested by an independent task force, as well as collect verbal input and record opinions through hand-held computers. School officials collected 92 computerized responses during a previous forum at Dunbar High and 174 at last week's session at Cape Coral High.

	AT A GLANCE
	Lee County School Choice Forum When: 7 p.m. Monday Where: Estero High School, 21900 River Ranch Road Community members can complete a telephone survey by calling 461-8400 or by e-mailing their thoughts to opinions@leeschools.net.

School Board member Jane Kuckel said the district recently sent an information card to every Lee County student announcing the final two forums at Estero High and Tuesday's forum at Lehigh Senior High.

School officials also have taken their program on the road to six shopping centers, finishing that component of information-gathering on Friday. Community members can complete a telephone survey by calling 461-8400 or by e-mailing their thoughts to opinions@leeschools.net.

The School District's Student Assignment Task Force spent one year developing five primary options that are under consideration:

-- Achievement/Socioeconomic Diversity Model: four to six geographic zones split with minority balance; assignment based on student achievement and socioeconomic status.

-- Open Choice/Feeder Model: four geographic zones split along major thoroughfares; assignment based on sibling location and proximity using a lottery/feeder system.

-- Geographic Boundaries with Choice: four geographic zones; assignment to first choice by default to the closest school, with choices permitted inside zone if assignment diversifies socioeconomic make-up.

-- Proximity Choice with Diversity: no attendance zones; assignment based on proximity, student achievement, socioeconomic status, diversity and sibling preference.

-- Differentiated Zones: multiple geographic attendance clusters for elementary, middle and high schools; assignment based on student achievement, socioeconomic status, proximity and sibling preference.

During the first two forums, about half of respondents said they were extremely unhappy with the district's former method of assigning students to schools based on geographic proximity, but about one-third of respondents also don't like the current School Choice program either.

Schools Superintendent James Browder says the final plan that board members approve is likely to be a hybrid of several options.