Dear Editor:
A Dec 28th News Tribune article noted that the Russellville school system needs more students. When my wife read the article she suggested, "Why not change boundaries between Russellville and JCPS in order to increase the number of students the Russellville district (Cole County R-I) while reducing overcrowding in the JCPS district?" (I am probably being nave thinking this should be a relatively simple task. No doubt there are far to many levels of government who will want to provide "help" with such a change. They no doubt view we local taxpayers as being far to ignorant to control our own destinies.)
Russellville's K-8 attendance has dropped from 503 in 2005 to 366 in 2016. Its 9-12 attendance has dropped from 242 to 203 during the same period. If that number of students could be transferred between districts it would be the same as adding 5 or 6 K-8 classrooms and adding 2 high school classrooms in Jeff, with no capital expenditures.
We have no children, nor grandchildren, attending schools in either district. We live on the boundary between the districts. The Russellville high school is closer to us than JCPS's high school. Both my granddaughter and her husband graduated from Russellville several years ago. My impression is that I would FAR rather have my great-grandchildren attend school in Russellville than in Jefferson City. Russellville High School had APR scores of 138/140, its Middle School and Elementary School scored 69/70; far, far higher than JCPS scores. The tax rate for Russellville is higher than JCPS's current rate but lower that JCPS's rate if proposed increases are approved.
Perhaps a similar solution could help other adjoining districts. Cole County R-V's K-12 enrollment has declined by 147 from 2005-2016. South Callaway R-II's enrollment has dropped 148 over the same time period. New Bloomfield R-III's enrollment has dropped 47. The total enrollment reduction for the four surrounding districts is 518. A 500 student reduction in JCPS's enrollment would put it back at pre-1993 enrollment levels.
Hopefully someone has at least investigated the possibility of boundary changes, as a no cost to taxpayers way of reducing JCPS overcrowding.
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