Let my kindergartener go to school with his brother
My 9 yr old started attending the school he is currently at when he was going into kindergarten. At this time our "home school" was a school that was failing in our standardized I-Step test and we were given the opportunity to attend 1 of 2 schools in our township. I chose to send him to the same school my older two had attended and had done well in. (including my oldest daughter who has an Individualized Education Plan).
In between my sons 1-2nd grade year we ended up having to move out of our "home school" area and into another area of the township. The reason being was because the house we were renting had a furnace that was faulty and had caught on fire at least twice and the management company was refusing to replace the furnace. (which wasn't our responsibility)
The home we live in now has a different "home school" than what my 9 yr old attends. Last year we had to sign a paper giving him permission to continue attending the school he goes to as long as we continued to provide transportation. The paper stated that he can attend the school until he goes onto middle school, then he will attend our "home school" middle school.
Fast forward to this spring, we went to register my 5 yr old for school and every person we met with at registration stated that he would be allowed to attend the same school as older brother. Our form that we got to tell us when his phelps testing was, listed the same school as well. A few weeks after registration I get a letter stating that my 5 yr old will NOT be allowed to attend the same school and will have to attend our home school. My 9 yr old can continue to attend the school hes been at for 4 yrs though.
I contacted our states school superintendent office and they basically blew me off and would not offer me any assistance because we attend township schools. I e-mailed the new superintendent of our township and she replied back to me after discussing the issue with the assistant superintendent that my youngest would not be allowed to attend this school. I was given two options- 1) I can send both kids to the same school *home school* which meant pulling my 4th grader out of the school hes been at for going on 5 years and has gotten extra help with certain subjects (without an IEP but pulled out for extra-help) or they can attend two seperate schools which would force me to have atleast one or the other child late for drop off and pick up every day. (I would be the primary one to take and pick up my kids as I have no extra help and my husband will be attending school and working full time)...
After receiving this response, I then contacted all members of the school board and explained my situation with a response from two members basically saying the same thing as the superintendent. The second member even suggested that she didnt think it would be any different pulling my son who has been at the same school for 4 years than it would be having my youngest attend his home school in 2 years when the older child goes onto middle school.
Throughout all of this, just trying to get my kids to be allowed to attend the same school my son was "grandfathered" into, my kids emotional well-being has been let down. My son was told immediately just as I was that he would be able to attend the same school his 9 yr old brother had as well as his other siblings who graduated from the elementary school. I am well aware that other children who started the same school 4 yrs ago with my son that were in the same position as attending school as a "choice school" now have siblings getting ready to start school and the school board has not stated one thing to them, however in the e-mail from the second school board member she stated that the same rules they are giving me do apply to the other families as well.
I am asking for everyone to take a minute and put yourself in my shoes, I'm not asking for a lot I just want my boys to attend the same school as we were told. Please sign and share this petition with your family and friends.
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