Red Clay’s Dickinson High School feeder map is a bit flawed and deceptive. The “Dickinson” feeder map label notes A.I. duPont High School across Hoopes Reservoir. Were as the “A.I. duPont” High School feeder map puts notation closer to A.I’s actual location, 50 Hillside Road Wilmington Delaware 19807. There is a segment of the Dickinson feeder map way over near Stadium Park, Baynard Blvd and West Market whereas in actuality this area is closer to A.I. duPont High School.
The intent of the Neighborhood Schools Act was to insure students would attend the school closest to their home. Red Clay cried foul because if they were to assign students to the closest school those schools would be severely overcrowded. The Delaware State Board of Education approved Red Clay NSA plan based on choice. However, all students would be assigned to a feeder pattern but with choice as an option. Red Clay will take the position that making changes to feeder assignments would fuel resegregation concerns. That analogy would be bogus because Red Clay has been adding schools in the suburbs accommodating white families. Even the conversion of Conrad Middle School to an “all choice in” 6-12 magnet school reassigned Wilmington students to schools further from their home. At best Red Clay could have made it “choice out” for those 6-8 grades feeder pattern reassigned. It’s the high school component of Conrad that was the intended magnet school. Currently Conrad’s 8th grade students must complete a choice application to attend the high school component.
A.I. duPont High School has become a popular choice high school so much the district with support of the voters / taxpayers voted to add an addition onto AIHS. The fact remains, once AIHS accommodates AIHS feeder students there would be seat open and that’s “without” the new addition. The reality is, the additon being built is to accommodate out of feeder students and siblings.
My point is, why is Red Clay busing Wilmington students located near Stadium Park, Baynard Blvd and West Market to Dickinison when A.I. duPont High School is closer? At best Red Clay should be giving those Red Clay disenfranchised students first choice without question. Again the feeder map presented to the Dickinson feeder families makes it appear A.I.H.S is further west and on the other-side of Hoopes Reservoir but yet for A.I.H.S feeder families their map put A.I.H.S closer to where it’s actually located.
Dickison High School Feeder Map
A.I. DuPont High School Feeder Map
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That’s really strange…
The city feeder issue in general does need to be resolved.
I find it really unfortunate that my child is feeder-ed for a school nearly 10 miles away (HB…I went there myself and we live in the same neighborhood, but I thought busing was over?). AI Middle could be a fine school – I think highly of the staff there, but they’ve let it become high poverty, and who would make that choice deliberately for their child on the middle school level?
I’m lukewarm on Cab and Conrad. They are certainly fine schools, but so competitive and with declining diversity/city resident participation in their programs, they just aren’t my favorites for my kid. Conrad is even a little too much of a hike to me, for that matter, and I agree it should be a middle school for its community.
I really wish we had a decent middle school in the city, it’s an irresponsibly missed opportunity. What Red Clay needs is a P.S. duPont! You put your strongest programs in a place where the people who struggle with transportation can easily access them – in the city! Then, those in the suburbs who are accustomed to driving to schools and activities can still easily choose take advantage of them, and you’re not denying access to students whose families aren’t accustomed to it. (And then you maintain programs and follow policies that won’t gentrify out the city population.) It doesn’t seem like rocket science…Warner would be a great property for something like that.
I don’t think we should be creating any more middle schools. K-8 seems to be the way to go. Has anyone looked at the data on that?
even better – K-12. your thing is HAC, mine’s K-12
Hmm. Really? Maybe. But why?
I’m not sold on that idea, personally. Especially with the rised of themed programs, I don’t like the idea of locking my child into (or other kids out of) something like that through the 8th grade, let alone the 12th. Maybe if the schools were teaching a comprehensive curriculum good…but so few “top” schools seem to attempt or excel at that anymore! Which is why I’m inclined to leave Red Clay, at least for middle school.
Interesting, though. So, convert all current elementary and middles to K-8s and redo the feeders accordingly?
…teaching a comprehensive curriculum *well*…sheesh.
PM, K-12 in one building?
“Maybe if the schools were teaching a comprehensive curriculum good” – well I think that should be the goal as well so…
I went to school K-12 (kind of.. more than one elementary school but small town so everyone knew each other anyway) the junior high and high school were across the street from each other. In junior high you probably would have one or two classes a year in the high school, although I can’t remember now which classes that would have been. foreign language maybe?
Lots of benefits, social ones mostly.
I don’t know why you would be locked into it any differently than you are now. I do see how you can be locked out.. again, no different than how it is now. All the schools should be that no one feels ‘locked out’ of anything, because they all need to be great. I know, in a perfect world, eh?