Talks of Combining Clara Hall and Jefferson Elementary

Getting one Monroe school out of academically failing status could mean closing it down. A proposal by the Monroe City School Board would combine two elementary schools in an effort to get rid of the one making a failing grade. The school board superintendent is proposing closing Clara Hall Elementary and combining it with Jefferson Upper Elementary. Its a topic thats received virtually no support from teachers and parents at Clara Hall, and at a school board meeting Tuesday evening that lack of support was made evident. It was standing room only at a Monroe City School Board meeting Tuesday Night. The issue of interest was the potential closing of an area elementary school. Teachers, parents and students showed up to the meeting to show their disapproval of a proposal to combine the two schools. It’s a move the board believes would remove Clara Hall from the states list of academically unacceptable schools. Rachelle May has taught at Clara Hall for eight years. She said, “all hes doing is putting a band-aid, changing names of schools just to remove a corrective action title." May says since the school stops at second grade, the state uses third grade testing scores from Jefferson to give Clara Hall its ranking, which she thinks is unfair. "The third grade did poorly last year and therefore we are labeled because they only counted third grade for us," she said. Valley Gibsons son Shane is a second grader at Clara Hall. "He couldnt read when we first came down here and they have gotten him up to level and they have been so patient with him," she said. Gibson says if Clara Hall closes, she will enroll her son in another school in the district, but it will not be Jefferson. "Jefferson, if their test scores are any idea of whats going to happen to him when he gets there,” and Gibson said, “its going to push him back not push him forward." Most of the parents and teachers at Clara Hall think merging the two schools would not benefit the children involved because they say Jefferson just isnt equipped to handle a younger age group of children. "Clara hall was designed for lower elementary students in mind." May says Clara Hall has spent about $10,000 to provide each classroom with projectors as well as smart boards in three of the classrooms. Thats technology she says they lose by moving to Jefferson. School Board members are tabling the topic until a scheduled meeting with parents and community members next week. (Copyright 2008, NBC 10/FOX 14 News, Written by Casey Ferrand)