FCS shakeup may mean more walkers

Making the math work on Findlay City Schools' plan to reorganize the elementary schools may mean more students walking greater distances to school. Findlay school board is expected to vote at its March 22 regular meeting to modify the district's "walkers and riders" policy to increase the walking distances for both elementary and middle school students. The modified "walkers and riders" policy was introduced as a discussion item at Monday's regular meeting of the school board. "With the closing of Jacobs and Lincoln, we will see an increase in the number of students that are bus eligible. In order to avoid increasing bus routes and the need to hire additional drivers, it has been proposed to increase the eligibility distance," said Superintendent Troy Roth. The change would mean that elementary students must live more than 1 mile from their school of attendance to qualify for busing. The current requirement is three-fourths of a mile. Middle school students would need to live more than 2 miles from their school to be bused, the same as the high school requirement. The distance for middle school students is now 1.5 miles. The distance for high school students would remain at 2 miles. The policy does allow for busing at a shorter distance, if the superintendent determines there is a hazard, based on the age of the child. The policy also does not apply to students who have been assigned transportation as part of their Individual Education Plan, typically done for children with special needs, or to voluntary transfer students. The board will meet at 6 p.m. in the community room of Glenwood Middle School. Face masks and social distancing are required. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the district's YouTube page, Findlay City Schools. Findlay school board voted 5-0 this week to close Lincoln Elementary and repurpose Jacobs Primary schools at the end of this school year. The reorganization is expected to save the district $1.3 million to $1.7 million annually. It will also allow the district to better balance the number of children living at or near the poverty level, keeping the number at less than 50% in each building. Under the restructuring, preschool children who now attend school at Washington School, 1100 Broad Ave., will be transferred to the Jacobs building, 600 Jacobs Ave. District administrative offices, now housed in leased offices at 2019 Broad Ave., will eventually be moved to Washington School. The school has housed administrative offices in the past. The 106-year-old Lincoln Elementary building, located at 200 W. Lincoln St., will be closed and sold. Elementary students will be divided into three buildings for students in kindergarten through second grade; and three buildings for students in grades three to five. The district's elementary schools are currently divided into four primary schools (kindergarten through second grade), three intermediate schools (third through fifth grade), and one K-5 building, which is Lincoln Elementary. Information about student assignments to their new schools under the reorganization will be released by March 1, Roth said. The board also voted Monday to purchase two modular classrooms for $3.25 million from Mobilease Modular Space Inc., Pedricktown, New Jersey, to accommodate the reorganization. The modular classrooms will be placed at Bigelow Hill Intermediate School, 300 Hillcrest Ave., and Wilson Vance Intermediate School, 610 Bristol Drive. Grant: 419-427-8412