Restricted Busing Offers New Programs for Twin Cities Schools

Under a new three year plan, Twin Cities families will lose some ability to bus their kids all over town, but will gain some new programs.  The new plan divides the city into six areas and will restrict students to the area in which they live.  Dozens of changes in school programs and their locations will be affected.  On March 15th, school board members will discuss the new plan and are expected to vote on it. 

Some families currently enrolled at a school would be kept under the old rule until they complete their programs.  Community schools will offer busing in their area, but not city wide.  Expo is now city wide but will soon have a smaller area to bus from. 

Over a three year period, let's see the proposed changes. 

* A Mandarin Chinese-immersion kindergarten will be added at Benjamin Mays Elementary, with a grade to be added each year. 

* Creative Arts High School and grades 7-12 of Open World Learning Community will move to the former site of Wellstone Elementary . 

* Both Ames/Sheridan and American Indian/World Cultures add 7th grades, with 8th grades to come the next year. 

* The sixth-grade classes at Adams Spanish-immersion and Highland Park Elementary will move to Highland Park Junior High. 

In 2012-13: 

* A new K-5 program will move into the former Roosevelt Elementary. 

* The former Sheridan Elementary will add a special-education program. 

* The former Ames Elementary will take grades 3-5 of Nokomis Montessori, with Nokomis keeping K-2. 

* L'Etoile du Nord French immersion school will move to the former Open World Learning Community building and a new program serving grades 6-8 moves into the French immersion site.