A note from Lisa VanBuhler, 9th Grade Liaison, MMIB PTSO

My husband and I have been doing research to help support Option 3. Following are a few important items we think everyone should review and understand as it provides excellent insight into what is driving the thinking of the board:

Go to the Iredell-Statesville School Website under Community and then Redistricting. Here’s the URL -

http://iss.schoolwires.com/15311099123534613/FileLib/browse.asp?a=374&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=76542&15311099123534613Nav=|&NodeID=1987

Open and read the Urban Institute presentation dated 9/19/2008. You’ll find good bullets to support Option 3, you’ll see a very strong recommendation to redistrict, and you’ll see support for the IB school/Magnet schools. You’ll also see several maps on population, school boundaries, etc.

Next open the follow-up presentation dated 2/12/2009. This is an update on the recommendation due to current economic conditions and suggests the IB schools are a way to relieve overcrowding. It also is where they suggest a one-school location for the IB diploma program. Below is information from Slide 17.

• Use of International Baccalaureate (IB) choice programs to relieve crowding
– A Statesville facility & Mt. Mourne become 6-8 grade IB
– A Statesville and/or southern county location becomes an IB diploma program

I believe this is where the board is getting their views and supporting documentation for their positions and they’ve been forming their opinions for more than 1 year.

All of the population and school district boundaries maps can be found by clicking on Maps & Illustrations. Here’s the URL -

http://iss.schoolwires.com/15311099123534613/FileLib/browse.asp?a=374&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=76577&15311099123534613Nav=|&NodeID=1988

Finally, a few of the board members graduated from SIHS. So their perspective is going to be partial to SIHS. And given the fact we are only represented by 1 member of a board of 7 with the rest representing the north, quite an uphill battle – URL for Board Maps:

http://www.co.iredell.nc.us/Departments/Mapping/Maps/Iredell_School_Voting.pdf


With that as a backdrop, there are two key points that I think we should focus on with the delivery of Option 3:

Redistricting is going to need to take place within the next few years to properly align students with schools due to overcrowding, independent of any IB school actions. It should have already taken place given LKHS is two times the size of the next closest high school. Plus, growth of the IB program at the 6-8 grade levels will be facilitated by two IB Diploma locations vs. one. With the change to SIHS, key point we need to really drive is that it will kill the IB program in the south. The students will opt for LKHS and AP programs. I know they, the board, don’t believe this. We are going to need to over rally the parents and students. I can hear it at the board meeting now with signs, protests, etc. saying “Heck No, We Won’t Go!” :-)

Next is we really need to drive home the impact on the students in terms of their sense of community with friends, other families, and even within a given family must be brought out as reasons to support why we are parents and our children will no longer participate in the IB program. This is true for both the North and South.

Next is costs. I think we should show them their option may cost more. Here’s the thinking. Bus costs will go up. Maybe savings in school teachers however, assume in year 1 costs may be higher due to teacher training costs. Classroom costs will be higher year 1 as the classrooms need to be equipped to the level MMIB is (smart boards, etc.). But here’s the one that I think is a good one – the changes they propose will cause students to leave the IB program and many will opt for charter/private schools. This will be a negative drain on revenues, thus a cost of their option. When IB opened up, the district rec’d a check for $300,000 due to students going from charters back to IB. Pretty big dollars. Plus, take a look at the announcement yesterday from CMS – no more busing for magnet school students unless they find their own way to a high school. We are heading down that same path.

Then I think we need to find a sensitive way to illustrate SIHS shortcomings, and again drive it as a reason our kids will not go there and will opt back to LKHS or charter/private. It is a division 2 school athletically with terrible school assessment scores. That combined with the drive, the impact on family participation, how to handle a family with kids at IB and standard high school, etc.

Well, that is probably enough for one email. More, consolidated :-) thoughts later.