ACS: Parents' involvement makes difference

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June 1, 2009

Anonymous The Herald Bulletin Mon Jun 01, 2009, 09:14 AM EDT

ANDERSON – Parents’ involvement in their children’s education can make difference. It might even save the kids’ school.

When the board of Anderson Community Schools this year considered a proposal to close Killbuck Elementary, Dave Lewis took it personally. His three adopted children, Michael, 12, and Farah and Sarah, both 11, had made a home and thrived at the school. They have been together as a family for about four years.

Lewis gathered petitions of more than 100 Killbuck parents who threatened to transfer their students to Daleville schools if Killbuck was closed. That helped spare the school for at least another year, though its future remains far from secure.

“It’s an awesome school,” said Michael, now in the fifth grade at East Side Middle School.

“I’ve been here the whole time, and I’m on the A/B honor roll,” Sarah said.

“Whevenver you don’t understand something, intead of being all grumpy they help you understand it,” Farrah said of the school’s techers. “I think it’d be really bad to have to leave Killbuck.”

Lewis traces efforts to close smaller schools such as Killbuck to the decision years ago to build large new schools such as Anderson, East Side and Erskine elementaries, all of which have opened since 2003.

“We didn’t need these Taj Mahals,” he said. “These little bricks and mortars are fine if you take care of them.”

ACS Superintendent Mikella Lowe said the larger schools offer economies of scale and flexibility to alter grade structures within schools to adjust with enrollment.

“That economy of scale is one way we can save dollars without raising class size,” Lowe said.

“You’re either going to have to look at at fewer elementaries or different grade configurations.”

Lewis said he’ll be back if ACS tries to close Killbuck again. “By next year I’ll have every student’s parent’s signature.”

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xACS: Challenges Ahead

ACS: Difficult years ahead for system ANDERSON — It was a tough year for Anderson Community Schools. Years to come might not get any easier. Trends that have become constants for the system — declining enrollment, shrinking revenue and a dismal graduation rate among them — reached worrisome levels.

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ACS: Interim chief: 'I will attack this position' ANDERSON – A few words from Lennon Brown eventually get around to a conundrum engraved on a plaque in his office. “Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” The man who will serve as interim superintendent after 36 years with Anderson Community Schools laughs that he’s gotten calls congratulating him, and calls asking why he’d give up retirement for this.

June 1, 2009 2 Photos
ACS: Parents' involvement makes difference ANDERSON – Parents’ involvement in their children’s education can make difference. It might even save the kids’ school. When the board of Anderson Community Schools this year considered a proposal to close Killbuck Elementary, Dave Lewis took it personally.
June 1, 2009 1 Photo
ACS: By the numbers ACS by the numbers

— 9,421: Number of students enrolled, K-12, 2008-09

— 12,804: Number enrolled, K-12, 20 years ago

— 26.4%: Decline in number of students in past two decades

— 8,623: Projected enrollment, K-12, in 2012-13, a decrease of 9.5 percent
June 1, 2009 1 Photo
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xACS: Challenges Ahead

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ACS: Parents' involvement makes difference

Which factor is most responsible for the increase in the graduation rate at Anderson High School?

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