Debate over Maize district’s student placement system likely isn’t over

Maize school district parents once again are being asked to declare a preference for which school their fifth- or eighth-grader would like to attend next year.

But the debate over the district’s placement system – including whether Maize should establish boundaries or a feeder-pattern system – may not be over.

Last week, some Maize school board members indicated they would like to take another look at the district’s placement system and “examine efficiencies with a priority on what is best for as many students as possible,” said Lori O’Toole Buselt, spokeswoman for Maize schools.

“Whatever we do with student placement, it’s certainly not something where we could make everyone happy. We would love to, but it’s just such a complicated topic,” Buselt said.

“So we will work to do what’s best for as many people as possible.”

This year, parents will submit preferences online, using the Skyward student information system, instead of with paper postcards.

“In this digital era, it is just more convenient to do it online,” Buselt said. “You’re cutting out that middle step of the mailing, so it’s more immediate.”

Parents will see completion information online, which “adds a level of verification for parents and just makes everyone feel more comfortable,” she said.

Also new this year: All parents of fifth- and eighth-graders are required to submit a preference, though they can select “either school” if they don’t have a preference. Fifth-graders, for instance, could select Maize South Middle School, Maize Middle School or either middle school.

“There’s still the option of indicating, ‘I’m fine with either school.’ … But that would be something they select, not (something) that we assume,” Buselt said.

Unlike most school districts, Maize has no geographical attendance boundaries that determine where a child goes to school. Instead, families with students in fifth and eighth grades submit a preference indicating which middle or high school they would like their child to attend.

The preference does not guarantee placement, however. The district tries to assign about two-thirds of students to Maize High and one-third to Maize South High.

About three years ago, because more eighth-graders opted for Maize South than in previous years, about two dozen families didn’t get their first-choice school. After a lengthy appeals process, most of the families’ preferences were granted, but the episode launched a years-long districtwide debate over school placement and boundaries.

In March, the Maize school board voted 4-3 to keep the preference-card system for assigning students. Since then, three new board members have taken office – Scott Crawford, Kate Doerksen and Jeff Jarman – and a new superintendent, Chad Higgins, started in July.

“We have quite a bit of turnover on our school board, so while this is not a new topic for our school district, it is a conversation among new leaders,” Buselt said.

The deadline to submit a middle or high school preference is Dec. 1. For more information about the placement system, including a video illustrating how to submit a preference, visit www.usd266.com/placement.

This story was originally published November 15, 2015 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Debate over Maize district’s student placement system likely isn’t over."