Parents and teachers speak out against Vision 20/20 plans to close a Davenport school

DAVENPORT--During the first of three public forums held by the Davenport School District, Superintendent Art Tate presented a plan to close a school for the 2019-2020 school year.

Tate presented four options to parents and teachers:

• To sell or repurpose Adams Elementary, implementing a pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten through sixth grade districtwide. Adams K-6 students will move to Williams Intermediate and move 7^th and 8^th grade students from Williams Intermediate to Frank L. Smart Intermediate, Sudlow, Walcott and Wood.

• To sell or repurpose Buchanan and Washington elementary schools. Students at Washington would attend McKinley, Garfield, Madison or Eisenhower Schools. Buchanan students would attend Filmore, Harrison or Truman Schools.

• To sell or repurpose Monroe Elementary School. This plan would convert all elementary schools to a prekindergarten or Kindergarten through 6^th All current intermediate schools will become 7^th and 8^th grades. Students currently attending Monroe, Preschool through sixth grade would be moved to Smart Intermediate. 7^th and 8^th grade students will attend Williams, Sudlow and Walcott.

• Close either Central, North or West High School. This option would leave two high schools with 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades; five intermediate schools with 7^th-9^th grades; and 18 elementary K-6 schools with the addition of preschool where space allows.

While some parents and staff agreed with the proposed cuts and viewed it as a way for the district to save money others say they wanted no part of it.

“When I read the (options) today my mouth dropped. The high school one is insane,” said one parent during the meeting.

In the last 10 years alone, Davenport Schools lost about 1,000 students. The district expects to lose 600 more in the next five years, add to that a tight budget and modest state funding increases, which is why Davenport Schools are looking to shut down a school for the 2019-2020 school year.

Tate plans to hold two more public forums before board members make their final decision in November.