Student Assignment Plan Information
December 12, 2011
Board considers changes to student assignment plan.
The Jefferson County Board of Education is considering recommendations for improvements and modifications to the current elementary student assignment plan. The changes, if approved, would be implemented for the 2012-13 school year. The recommendations are:
- Establish a new diversity guideline based on census block groups for elementary schools.
- Include kindergarten students in a school’s diversity index, allowing them to apply only once for elementary school. (Current kindergarten students would not have to reapply and would be able to remain at the school they now attend through grade five.)
- Include English as a Second Language (ESL) students in an elementary school’s diversity index, recognizing multiracial diversity in the district.
- Continue the existing six elementary clusters.
The proposal has numerous benefits, according to Jack Jacobs, executive director of Student Assignment. By using 2009 census information and the smaller block group areas, the district would be able to recognize and more accurately pinpoint the existing diversity of Louisville neighborhoods. More importantly, the proposal could allow more students to be assigned to schools closer to their homes, potentially reducing their bus ride times. Jacobs adds that the Student Assignment staff has identified more than 2,000 elementary students who could attend a school closer to home if capacity exists and the assignment enhances diversity at the closer school.
Additional benefits of the proposal include the following:
- Maintains continuity by preserving the current six clusters and school boundaries
- Keeps opportunities to attend magnets as they are now
- Produces no changes in transportation routes to daycare centers
- Would not require additional buses
- Would not require additional grandfathering of students
The new diversity guideline defines each of the city’s 570 block groups as Category 1, 2, or 3. Category 1 block groups have an average income that is less than $42,000; are less than 73 percent white; and have an educational attainment level up to an associate’s degree. Category 2 block groups have an average income between $42,000 and $62,000; are 73 to 88 percent white; and have an educational attainment level of college courses beyond an associate’s degree. Category 3 block groups have an average income that is more than $62,000; are more than 88 percent white; and have an educational attainment level up to a bachelor’s degree or beyond. Jacobs says the new definition of diversity accomplishes two important goals:
- It keeps each cluster within the new diversity guideline of 1.4 to 2.5.
- It does not put a majority of students living in Category 1 block groups in one cluster.
The report also includes information about an enhanced school finder feature with program highlights about all of the schools in a cluster, driving directions, and bus route information. A new Global Positioning System (GPS)/routing system for the district’s bus fleet also is described.
The board is expected to vote on the recommendations on January 9. Before it does, you have an opportunity to weigh in. Review the PowerPoint presentation, watch the staff’s December 12 presentation to the board, and then click here to leave your comment.
November 28, 2011
Comments were accepted through Monday, December 5.
November 21,2011
The Jefferson County Board of Education received a draft proposal that would revise the district's elementary student assignment plan. The proposal is based on the recommendations Dr. Gary Orfield presented in September, but it is not identical. Rather than 13 clusters, the staff proposal divides the district into 12 clusters. Jack Jacobs, executive director of Student Assignment, says the plan accomplishes several key goals.
- It continues to reduce the longest bus rides for most students in a cluster.
- It reduces the number of kindergarten students that would need to be moved.
- It enables more students to stay closer to home (approximately 500 kindergarten students).
- It provides stability for parents and families with one elementary application at kindergarten.
- It uses existing transportation routes.
- It will not require the purchase of additional buses.
- It maintains/improves diversity by recognizing the diversity of smaller geographic areas.
The proposal defines diversity by using multiple factors of income, educational attainment and minority population using 2009 data for all 570 of the county's census block groups. The diversity index is a weighted average of the number of students in each category enrolled in the school.
Income Category
- Category 1—Income less than $42,000
- Category 2—Income between $42,000 - $62,000
- Category 3—Income more than $62,000
Education Attainment Category
- Category 1—up to an Associate’s degree
- Category 2—college courses beyond an Associate's degree
- Category 3—college courses up to a bachelor’s degree and beyond
Race Category 3
- Category 1—Percent Minority greater than 27%
- Category 2—Percent Minority is between 12% to 27%
- Category 3—Percent Minority is less than 12%
The new guidelines create clusters that have a diversity index between 1.6 and 2.3 and schools could potentially have an index between 1.4 and 2.5. All of the census block groups fall within one of the three categories. The new diversity guideline would be phased in beginning with kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grades in 2012-13. The plan also allows for current kindergarten through fourth-grade students to be grandfathered. The minor boundary changes necessary to implement the plan will impact fewer than 450 students.
The board discussed the proposal for more than 90 minutes asking a wide range of questions from why the plan deviated from Dr. Orfield's original proposal to how the new plan will be communicated to parents. The board also asked staff to provide a detailed timeline of everything that needs to happen to implement the plan by next school year.
To read the full recommendation, click here or view the power point presentation, click here.
Nov.7, 2011
The Jefferson County Board of Education discussed the community feedback and timeline for moving forward on changes to the elementary student assignment plan. Staff advised the board that a plan would be brought forward at the November 21 meeting for the board's consideration. A decision is needed by December 12 in order to implement changes for the 2012-13 school year. Read the power point presentation.
Oct. 4., 2011
JCPS collects feedback through an online survey and voice mail. Read more. (Please note: The survey and voice mail system are now closed.)
Sept. 26, 2011
JCPS holds community feedback sessions. Read more.
See the proposed elementary cluster map.
Sept. 12, 2011
Dr. Gary Orfield presents a report recommending changes to the elementary student assignment plan.
Read the full report.
Watch a video overview.
