Over the line

Redistricting plan will reduce schools' problems

As Ann Arbor's population continues to expand, deficiencies in the public education system have become increasingly apparent. The time has come for the city to make changes to the school system and attempt to compensate for several factors such as the district's inefficient use of space, non-contiguous boundaries between schools' enrollments, excessive bussing and a lack of racial diversity. In 1985, city officials instituted significant reform with the enactment of a major redistricting plan. The district's current problems provide the opportunity for the city to better the city's public education system.

The Ann Arbor School Board identified the crisis when it voted to study possible redistricting options to alleviate overcrowding problems at Lawton and Dickens Elementary Schools. As the process moved along, surveys were sent to parents to gather ideas for possible improvement. Three thousand people replied, stating they were happy with the present system. But grim statistics about the increasing number of children being bussed to schools and the increasing number of schools exceeding capacity clearly predict that the school system will no longer be able to sufficiently educate all children.

Children who attend elementary schools would be affected most if the district lines were redrawn. The need for significant change is apparent. Enrollment in the school system has increased from 13,600 to 16,000 since 1985. Moreover, the city's population is expanding outward. Yet 27 of the district's 30 schools are near the city's center, ultimately causing a greater dependency on buses.

Another large problem is that past efforts to alleviate overcrowding exacerbated current problems. Bussing students further away to less-crowded schools is no longer an option because most schools are already at capacity.

Finally, officials must deal with the schools' present racial imbalance. In today's multicultural society, the best education for children is not a homogeneous one - local officials and parents must commit themselves to supporting racial integration in the city's district. Schools that have severe student and faculty racial imbalances should be desegregated. This effort will require a more efficient bussing system but children need to learn in permanent classrooms, not in makeshift ones or on buses.

Considering that the city's schools also suffer from a severe achievement gap between black and white students, redistricting should be used to help quell that problem. By providing for racial integration, the gap may dissipate - aiding the district's other efforts at equalizing educational opportunities.

The people deciding the future of the school system have an enormous task in front of them. The redistricting plan must consider the schools' intertwined problems like racial imbalances and too much busing. These concerns need to be addressed by a creative redistricting plan that alleviates overcrowding problems and the lack of schools outside the expanding beltway of Ann Arbor. City officials should quickly implement a solution; the school districts' problems will likely get worse if left in the present condition. The city has an opportunity to implement significant education reform - benefiting all citizens and students.

12-05-97