More on Proposal to Reorganize Alameda Area Schools

At a sparsely attended meeting last night-- one where Jeffco staff members outnumbered the 20 or so community members-- the school district outlined its proposal to reorganize the Alameda area schools that serve much of downtown Lakewood.

Terry Elliot, the district's Chief School Effectiveness Officer, began by explaining the need for  new elementary school in the Alameda High School articulation area. Currently, the area has five elementary schools-- Deane, Stein, Lasley, Patterson, and Kendrick Lakes-- and one middle school--O'Connell. All but one, he explained, is at or above maximum capacity.

Patterson Elementary, which is located near the intersection of Garrison and Mississippi (outside the boundaries of downtown Lakewood), is the least crowded with 379 students. This, Mr. Elliott explained, puts Patterson at just 79% of capacity.

The picture is different at the remaining Alameda area schools. Kendrick Lakes Elementary, which is also near the intersection of Garrison and Mississippi-- only on the west side-- has 442 students, putting the building at 109% of capacity. Lasley Elementary, located off Florida roughly halfway between Wadsworth and Sheridan, has 511 students and is at 99% of capacity.

Stein Elementary and Deane Elementary are the two Alameda area elementary schools that are in downtown Lakewood. Stein, located just a block north of Belmar on Teller St, has 737 students and is at 164% of capacity. Deane, located about a mile east of Belmar at Harlan St and West Virginia Ave, has 477 students and is at 102% of capacity.

When asked by an audience member about the reason for the overcrowding, Mr. Elliot said it had to do with the rise of multigenerational households in the area, combined with the availability of low priced housing, high mobility, and new construction.

The solution, he went on to argue, is to convert O'Connell Middle School, which is at just 50% capacity, into a new, sixth elementary school for the articulation area. O'Connell's 7th and 8th graders would then go to Alameda High School, which has just 800 students currently on a campus built for 1600. This, he said, would allow the creation of a new 7th-12th grade Alameda that would continue and extend its International Baccalaureate program.

All this would involved drawing new enrollment lines for the entire east side of downtown Lakewood. Currently, for example, the neighborhood elementary school for everyone living in Belmar is Deane. This would likely change, although Mr. Elliott said the district has not yet begun looking at how enrollment lines would be redrawn.

He also stated that the new elementary school would also have the International Baccalaureate program, which, in my view at least, makes it a more desirable option than the traditional curriculum of Deane.

Whether or not you have school aged children, these kinds of changes are worth paying close attention to. School enrollment lines affect property values and rents. I hope that the Jeffco School Board listens closely to the community before making any decision. And I hope the community gives that input.