Joint-school plan is poorly received

Cook, Brunson elementaries would combine

Credit: Journal Photo by Lauren Carroll

Chere Roberts was one of many parents who expressed deep concerns during a meeting with school officials.

By: Wesley Young | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: November 03, 2009

The idea of combining Brunson and Cook elementary schools was a hard sell last night at a meeting between school officials and parents, many of whom objected strongly to a plan that could force some students to change schools next year.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Don Martin said the plan would essentially create one school in two locations, with grades K-2 at Cook and grades 3-5 at Brunson.

The plan brought an emotional response from a number of parents, especially those whose children go to Cook. About 60 people turned out for the meeting, held at Brunson.
"I have a son who is 9 years old and in the third grade and when he came to Cook I saw a change," said Chere Roberts, who was holding back tears. "It bothers me because I'm scared if he comes here (Brunson), he will act up again."

Both Brunson and Cook parents talked about the difficulty of having to take siblings to two separate locations.

Martin said that the system is considering the plan so that the combined Brunson/Cook could be a magnet school with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math.

On top of that, school officials think they have a good chance of scoring federal grant money to make the magnet-school program happen.

School officials will hold another meeting on the plan at 5 p.m. today at Cook.

The school board would likely decide on whether to go forward with the plan — or some alternative — at its Dec. 15 meeting, Martin said.

Martin said it would be possible to turn only Brunson into a magnet school, but that space is short at Brunson.

Martin said that one possibility would be to move the fifth-grade class of highly-academically-gifted students from Brunson to Cook — an idea that drew objections from parents of children in that program.

Martin called such a move unlikely.

Attendance-line changes under consideration could shift many students from Cook to other schools nearby. Martin said it's possible that students already attending Cook could stay there at the new Brunson/Cook school.

At some point in the future, system officials hope to close Brunson and expand and renovate Cook as a K-5 magnet school.

wyoung@wsjournal.com
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