CCISD News: WAVE Magnet Program Moved to Intermediate #9 and Clear View Moved to Webster Intermediate

By Marilyn Clark, League City Area News Online

The CCISD Board moved the Webster Academy ~ Visions in Education, WAVE, from Webster Intermediate to Intermediate #9 for the 2005-2006 school year at its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 28.

Intermediate #9 is located at the eastern end of El Dorado Blvd in Friendswood. Photo by Marilyn Clark - League City Area News Online.

How will parents get to Intermediate #9 from I-45?

WAVE Report by Superintendent

Parents listen closely to the discussion of the future location of WAVE, the Webster Academy ~ Visions in Education - the CCISD Intermediate Magnet Program for Gifted and Talented students. Photo by Marilyn Clark - League City Area News Online.

Superintendent Dr. Sandra Mossman said that a Focus Group of parents and staff began meeting in May but did not reach consensus on the relocation of WAVE to either Intermediate #9 or Space Center Intermediate.

Mossman also reported that the Demographic study submitted at end of July showed significant growth in the number of students at the intermediate level.

Mossman then shared that the administration went over input from the Focus Committee, the results of the Demographic Study and information on long term overcrowding from the Long-Range Facilities Master Planning Committee.

Mossman shared that during a September WAVE workshop, the administration provided three options that the administration could support because they addressed long term overcrowding.

Option 1 - Maintain Webster Intermediate as an intermediate and place Clear View adjacent to it.

Option 2 - Move WAVE program and Webster faculty to Intermediate #9, Space Center Intermediate or Clear Lake Intermediate.

Option 3 - Maintain Webster Intermediate as an Intermediate and place Clear View adjacent to it and increase opportunities for new magnet programs at other intermediate schools.

Mossman said that the administration supports any of these three options that the board approves.

Parents Speakout About Site for WAVE

Parents concerned about the future location of the WAVE magnet program filled the board room. Several parents from the Heritage Park Subdivision, which is adjacent to Intermediate #9, spoke in favor of moving the WAVE program to Intermediate #9.

Kathy Lewey, a member of the District-wide Educational Improvement Council (DEIC), supported moving the WAVE program to Intermediate #9 which will open for the 2005-2006 school year. Intermediate #9 is being built at what will be the intersection of Beamer Road and El Dorado Boulevard in Friendswood.

Lewey expressed concern about the impressionability of intermediate students. She said that the age difference between intermediate students and students who attend Clear Brook Alternative School is too large. Thus, she does not feel these students should share the same facility.

Lewey also thinks that Clear View Alternative students should not be forced to share a school site with intermediate students but should instead be given their own school at the Webster Intermediate campus.

Daphe Knochel supported moving the WAVE program to Intermediate #9 also. Knochel felt that it would be unfair to displace up to 400 Intermediate students to make room for the WAVE program at another District intermediate school.

Knochel expressed her concern about leaving the WAVE program at the Webster Intermediate campus because of possible student interaction before and after school between WAVE students and Clear View Alternative School Students. She feels that other parents share her concerns.

Knochel asked, “How would WAVE continue to exist if most of the parents pulled their children from the program and bring them back to their home (school)?” Knochel believes that a number of parents will pull their students out of the WAVE program and place them back in their home intermediate school, thereby causing overcrowding at their home school, if both the WAVE program and the Clear View Alternative School were to be placed on the same campus.

Lori Domel also supported moving the WAVE program to Intermediate #9.

Domel pointed out that in option 3, the administration recommends adding additional magnet programs “in the four quandrants of the school district to increase student program choices and achieve balance throughout the District.” Domel argued that putting the WAVE magnet at Intermediate #9 in the west side of the District would produce magnet balance at the intermediate level because the science magnet is located at Seabrook Intermediate on the east side of the District.

Sheila Brown is a District elementary teacher. She works with gifted and talented students as an Alpha 2 teacher. She said that she understood that relocating WAVE to Space Center Intermediate could prove disruptive. She supported the concept of having WAVE in a central location in the District.

In addition, Brown encouraged parents of Gifted and Talented students in the District to join C.A.S.E. C.A.S.E. is a organization for parents to Communicate, Advocate, Support, and Educate for/about Gifted Children. The web site for C.A.S.E. is www.casegiftedchildren.org .

The audience applauded each speaker.

Community residents who would like to join a tour of the Webster Academy Visions in Education on November 3, 2004 from 9: 00 – 11: 30 a. m. should contact the CCISD Community Partnerships Office at (281) 338-5823 or (281) 338-5899 for a reservation or to get more information.

Board Members Take Action on WAVE

A motion was made by Trustee Bob Davee and seconded by Dr. Glenn Freedman to move WAVE temporarily to Intermediate #9 and to form a committee to review and make recommendations for implementation of a comprehensive plan to deliver Gifted and Talented Services District-wide for K-14 students.

Trustee Ralph Parr asked for clarification of what the 14 in K-14 meant.
Dr. Mossman said it referred to the level of education students in an Early College program could receive because it would be possible for Early College students to receive an Associate’s Degree. An early college program is under consideration by the District but has not yet been approved.

Parr also asked if the motion considered the future of the RAZ (Regular Attendance Zone) students or if this would be left up to the Boundary Committee?

Davee explained that he had not covered RAZ in the motion because he thought that the relocation of the RAZ students should be handled by SBAC.

Trustee Paula Tomasi moved to amend Davee’s motion to include that RAZ students will be rezoned to other intermediate schools in accordance with the recommendations of the School Boundary Advisory Committee as adopted by the board. Davee seconded this motion.

The amended motion to move WAVE temporarily to I #9 and to form a committee to review and make recommendations for implementation of a comprehensive plan to deliver Gifted and Talented Services District-wide K-14 and to rezone RAZ students to other intermediate schools in accordance with the recommendations of the School Boundary Advisory Committee and that the committee will be appointed by the board passed unanimously.

Board Members Take Action on Clear View High School

Freedman moved and Tomasi seconded that the Clear View Alternative Education Center be relocated to the current Webster Intermediate building and that the administration be directed to proceed with the currently planned renovations.

Parr wanted to know if the renovations can be completed in time for Clear View Alternative School to open by August 2005.

Director of Facilities and Planning Fred Niccum said that he believes that by working two shifts - until midnight - it is possible to complete renovations in time for the beginning of the next school year - with the possible exception of the auditorium.

The motion to relocate Clear View Alternative Education Center to the current Webster Intermediate building and to direct the administration to proceed with the currently planned renovations passed unanimously.

Source: CCISD

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