ELPS Board Considers an End to K-5 Programming at Glencairn Elementary School

East Lansing’s Board of Education may be considering moving the entire Glencairn Elementary School – students and staff – into the Red Cedar Elementary School building.

Glencairn could conceivably become a preschool and Headstart school for the ELPS District.

Board President Nell Kuhnmuench called the sudden change in direction “an exciting recommendation and a very, very positive compromise.”

Discussion of moving the Glencairn student and faculty came after the reading of a letter from the teaching and administrative staff of Glencairn to the Board that was emailed out to the Board Friday and to Glencairn families on Monday. Most of the group, along with principal Lorraine Ware and the staff, all formerly worked together at Red Cedar Elementary School before the south side school closed in 2014. Read the letter to the Board here.

The letter said the teaching staff’s first choice would be to stay together at Glencairn. But faced with being split apart, the group would rather move, en masse, back to Red Cedar Elementary.

“Due to the strong commitment our staff feels to our students, families, community and to one another, it is very important to us that we remain intact as a school community,” the letter read. “Our first choice would be to stay together at Glencairn with our current student population, staff and principal. However, if that is not possible, we would like to state our willingness to move to Red Cedar as an entire staff and student body. This option is preferable over having our team and community divided.”

Twenty four teachers and staff members signed the letter.

The change in direction arose early in last night’s work session as five of the seven trustees expressed their interest in further exploring the plan to move Glencairn’s current students and staff to Red Cedar Elementary.

Trustee Kath Edsall had originally introduced the proposal to reopen Red Cedar as a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade with a programming of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) in December.

But on Monday, Edsall said that her main concern all along has been for the students with special needs, including English Language Learners, who would benefit from being in a better facility than Glencairn. She believes Red Cedar could be the solution to improve their situation.

“It is working uphill to make everyone happy. But those communities are very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “These particular groups are not being served… Red Cedar is right up the road with 10,000 more square feet, classrooms with windows and shelves – classrooms, not closets – a music room, parking and a playground. It is a big struggle for me to know that we can address the needs of our most marginalized groups and we aren’t screaming with rage that these needs aren’t addressed.”

Trustee Karen Hoene, a strong proponent of early childhood education, suggested that a preschool program, together with Headstart and other current early childhood programs, could be housed in the Glencairn building, which is more centrally located than Red Cedar.

“I am wanting to take a step back and look at other options,” Hoene said. “What I heard overwhelmingly is that this is not a building, that kids didn’t want to say goodbye to their friends. This solution means no one would have to split up from their friends, and the teaching teams stay together.”

Trustee Kate Powers, who with Trustee Hillary Henderson had voted against reopening Red Cedar as a pre-K-5 school this fall, expressed reservations about opening a sixth elementary school for any purpose. She is also concerned about the effect of another transition on students.

“Why are we opening a building if we don’t even know if we have the students to fill it?” she said. “To ask a group of seven-year-olds – for some of these kids – to make a third move in three years. To move from Marble to Glencairn and now to Red Cedar. That to me, is wrong. We need to provide what we can to these kids.”

Henderson also urged her fellow Board members to slow down the process, and – regardless of the eventual outcome for Red Cedar – to consider the need to upgrade all the buildings in the District.

Trustee Yasmina Bouraoui called the proposal from the Glencairn teachers “intriguing” but also wants to the Board to focus on moving forward with this year’s bond proposal for upgrading all the elementary buildings.

“Whiplash” is how parent Mindy Morgan termed her feelings at the sudden change in direction by the Board.

“People are listening but I’m worried about some selective hearing. What we want is stability. Not this focus on a building but on the integrity of the staff,” Morgan said. “We’ve worked very hard to create a community but also want some stability….This should not be an issue that goes up and down Harrison Road but involves all schools. We are weary of worrying about what is going to happen next.”

This is also what some parents feared would happen after the fallout and anger over the decision to close Red Cedar. Sarah Preisser had two children at Marble Elementary when the redistricting occurred. She considered making a permeable boundary request to keep them there – just in case.

“I was worried that in two years, we would be here. But I trusted the system. I didn’t believe the people would take actions that look like revenge,” she said.

Over all the message from the majority of speakers from the community was the same as it has been in the past – a request for the Board to slow down and gather more information before making large-scale change in the District.

“Stop, please. All our teachers and families deserve to be heard,” said paraprofessional Rebecca McAndrews. “Press the pause button for 2016 so a well-researched plan, with numbers, can be presented. We can’t afford to get this wrong. Our kids will pay the price.”

Teacher Will Paddock is still questioning the need to reopen Red Cedar for any purpose and whether the money – starting with the $564,000 allocated last Board meeting – would be better spent addressing the needs of the currently open buildings.

“Couldn’t we use that money in other ways? There are so many answers we don’t have. People are scared, this is happening so fast,” Paddock said. “Now there is a conversation of taking all the Glencairn community and moving them, it is going to scare people more.”

Paddock and other citizens also brought up the issue of a bond which the Board has wanted to put before voters this fall. The previous bond motion failed and many attributed that to the move of the previous Board to close Red Cedar.

“It takes a lot of time and energy and effort to pursue a bond. We should be pursuing a bond and not switching one group of students from one building to another. We need all hands on deck and to learn from 2012. The reason that bond failed was because of Red Cedar. If it fails again, it will be because of Red Cedar,” said former ELPS Board member Nathanial Lake Jr.

Parent Sarah Comstock also asked the Board to consider where future students will be residing. Glencairn housing stock is turning over to younger families who want a neighborhood school. She is also asking the Board to do more research before making such a large decision.

“Slow down, gather some real data. Why wasn’t this done before 2014? I don’t know, but you need to get your data now,” she said.

Parent Del Chenault said he doesn’t believe the Board truly read the letter from the teachers at Glencairn, who emphasized that they want to remain there.

“Their first preference is to stay at Glencairn and now you are using the letter to justify moving them to Red Cedar,” he said. “Don’t do it. You will set this District back by decades.”

Finally, parent Karin Polischuk emphasized that walkable schools was a big deal when redistricting was last discussed by the Board and that 146 students currently can walk to Glencairn who would have to be bussed to Red Cedar.

The Board meets again next Monday at 7 p.m. for a regularly scheduled meeting.