Pantagraph.com | News | EPG organizes welcome to smooth busing transition

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Question wrote on Aug 17, 2007 9:23 AM:

" Thanks for the help on how teachers are picked to stay or let go. I didn't want to comment on something I was unsure of. There are a few teachers that have tenure that should be cleaned out but that is with any job. I sure hope things can come to a happy medium on this if for no other reason for the kids. Most kids seem to adjust pretty well. It is tough to put a little kid on the bus, I put my younges on a bus at age 3, yes my choice because we live in the country, but it is still tough. "

What's up with that? wrote on Aug 17, 2007 6:10 AM:

" Did they not say that they have sent EP kids to GGS and maxed out their 3rd grade classrooms? YES THEY DID! If someone new moves into EP - they get to stay in EP while other EP kids get bussed to Gridley! What was with all the double talk about numbers after they were called on it? "

To Question wrote on Aug 16, 2007 10:34 PM:

" NO teachers were let go and that is not the union's decision. The administration determines staff not the school board. The school board approves based on the recommendation of the administration. "

to Fieldcrest!!! wrote on Aug 16, 2007 9:53 PM:

" Thank god we dont live in Minonk or in there school dist. that would be 10 times worse your right,,,,and you were broke years ago now??? good point!!!!!! loser "

To question wrote on Aug 16, 2007 6:32 PM:

" No. the union does that. If you have tenure you stay, if not you go. Performance....... what is that? "

question wrote on Aug 16, 2007 4:34 PM:

" I didn't realize the principals decided what teachers stay and what teachers leave, this was up to the board and bill james (could some one enlighten me on this). I know that I would much sooner have the other super back at least when he said something you knew it was the gospel. This super gives people the answers they want to hear to pacify them "

Is this a possibility? wrote on Aug 16, 2007 4:16 PM:

" Why can't JP add on to the current building to suit the needs of the special educations students. If they save so much by keeping them at JP rather than sending to Bloomington, they should be able to build a classroom or two to fit their needs. This would allow both towns to keep k-4, which is a great benefit to each community. It would definately be a better option --- and there is no need to build brand new schools. Attendance Centers were not an option because they weren't cost effective. Really, how much can a couple of classrooms cost in comparison to a new building, attendance centers or bussing 19 students that shouldn't be on a bus in the first place. "

funny wrote on Aug 16, 2007 2:51 PM:

" this artical didnt say anything about why the class sizes are so large. BECOUSE last year they had 4 teachers teaching in each grade and this year k and 3 were cut back to 3 teachers this year. PARENTS remeber if your family was not involved you may very wll be sooner or latter. the new k'ers and the 2 may fallow into this patern next year, OR there may be more grade levels going back to only three teachers. once that bus is ready to roll there is nothing stopping it until it is full. right now there are 19 kids on that bus, it can hold alot more . actually kinda silly to run a bus back and forth for ony 19 anyway. watch out epg "

i hope wrote on Aug 16, 2007 2:01 PM:

" more parents decide to home school their children. stick to your guns parents! don't let the schoolboard bully you around and tell you that you have to send your child away for school. once they start losing revenue they'll change their tunes. "

To Bad Math wrote on Aug 16, 2007 1:41 PM:

" The article says 19 families...not 19 students. I know of at least one case where more than one child in a family is shuttling. Also, there are a couple of families who have decided not to have their kids attend this fall, which is their choice. This is not a case of "Bill James making up numbers"....but the article doesn't explain each and every situation that has caused the difference between 19 and 25. Calm down... "

Stand Up! wrote on Aug 16, 2007 11:52 AM:

" In fairness - Gridley and El Paso pay equal tax rate to the school district. That is not the point. I am from El Paso and feel that it's equally important for Gridley to keep K-4 in there community. It's our young children we're talking about and no one want to lose that. El Pasoans are being denied the right for children to attend school in their community. It's whether or not their lottery number is selected as to where your child may end up. I believe this is all a "BIG PUSH" for attendance centers. Both communities need to stand up to this! "

hmm wrote on Aug 16, 2007 11:18 AM:

" maybe they should just shut down the school in gridley and add a building in el paso and just have all the schools in el paso....prolly cost the same and then they'd have a reason to increase elpaso residents taxes and not gridleys.(like they have already done) "

"Funny" Math wrote on Aug 16, 2007 10:43 AM:

" Bill James has given "funny" math in every article he's been in. You'd think he'd be abreast to correct information. No wonder people complain of his leadership skills. You've got to be truthful and accurate. To put wrong numbers out to the public isn't funny! "

Don't forget wrote on Aug 16, 2007 9:54 AM:

" The CAUSE of this was not number of students. The number of students in elementaries DECREASED in EPG this year. The problem was school prinicipals CUT TEACHER POSITIONS, relying on being able to shift kids from school to school. The shifting was planned secretly last spring (administrators words - not mine!), and was the very basis of the teacher cuts. The raw data is posted online elpasogridley.blogspot.com - don't be mouthing off without getting facts first. "

Bad math wrote on Aug 16, 2007 9:51 AM:

" The numbers here are not adding up compared to what school admin released. For example, they told 25 students they would have to switch schools, but the article reports only 19. Did the other 6 (24% !!) leave EPG??? Some families known to have multiple kids at JP school had only 1 shifted, then principals blamed parents for not switching all kids - but that's not in the numbers either. These numbers do not add up unless a significant portion of those kids pulled out of EPG, which would say a lot about the lousy superintendent and principals .... "

Hey To: EPG parent wrote on Aug 16, 2007 8:41 AM:

" Would you want him to go to your hated rival "Lexington" if so, we will be glad to have him. Come on over! "

New Mascot wrote on Aug 16, 2007 8:24 AM:

" If they included Kappa they could be the Kappa Kabanites! "

so what you're saying is wrote on Aug 16, 2007 7:10 AM:

" you're going to make my kindergartener get on a bus and ride to gridley when we can see the el paso school from our house? and also, if i have my 6 year old in my car without a booster seat i will go to jail, but its ok to make them get on a schoolbus every day with not even a seatbelt? "

To Fieldcrest wrote on Aug 16, 2007 6:02 AM:

" 'Whatever" That is SO not the point here. "

EPG Parent wrote on Aug 16, 2007 4:47 AM:

" Kind of funny Bill James didn't mention that some of the parents are sending their kids to Eureka this year. I am still trying to figure out why Kappa, and Secor are not represented in the school name. Bill James is by far the worst Super. we have ever had. He is trying to downplay the fact that no parent wanted this to happen. He didn't take anything into consideration other than what he wanted. To: "Fieldcrest", I agree. I do think it is time to move. At one time I didn't want my son going to school anywhere but El Paso. Now it seems I would rather him go anywhere BUT El Paso. "

Fieldcrest told you so wrote on Aug 16, 2007 12:18 AM:

" quit whining. we've been busing our kids to three different schools in three different towns for years now. get over it already....or move. "

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