Parramore school may doom 2 others

The opening of a new K-8 school planned for Parramore could mean breaking up two successful school communities.

Fern Creek Elementary, which has won national plaudits for its inroads with homeless students, may close because it is expected to shrink to fewer than 160 students when the new school opens. And Grand Avenue Primary Learning Center, the district’s only school focused solely on kindergarten through second grade, is likely to be zoned out of existence because it serves many students expected to be in the new school’s zone. Like the children in Parramore, Grand Avenue students are bused to far-flung schools for grades three to five.

Both Fern Creek and Grand Avenue have created close-knit, family atmospheres and low teacher turnover, supporters say.

“I’ve never been in a place that’s so rewarding and so uplifting,” said Lino Rodriguez, longtime principal of Grand Avenue Primary. “What you’ll feel is the love for the children on this campus.”

Fern Creek, in Colonial town, draws more than half of its students from Parramore. Grand Avenue serves students from the south end of Parramore to Michigan Street.

Fern Creek has also attracted a core of passionate, dedicated parents who see the school’s mix of middle class and poor children as an asset.

“They are able to learn from each other on an empathetic level that changes our community,” said Alisha Kearns, who has sent all four of her daughters to the school.

Grand Avenue offers GED classes for adult familymembers, a weekly after-school get-together offering play ideas and a regular parent breakfast on topics ranging from tenant rights to more effective parenting. More than 98 percent of its students live in poverty.

“Not all schools have these opportunities,” said Grand Avenue parent Laquarius Carter, whose son is in first grade at the school. “They take the time to let parents knowwhat’s going on.”

More important than the location of a school is its ability to get parents involved, said Gary Orfield, co-director of The Civil Rights Project at UCLA.

“It takes somebody who figures it out,” he said.

At Fern Creek, the school provides buses to help parents get to school events such as parent nights “to try to level the playing field,” said Bill Gordon, an Orange County area superintendent. The school also works to keep students in school, considering suspension a last resort.

At a recent parent breakfast, Grand Avenue guidance counselor Barbara Barry described teaching skills that parents can emulate.

“When children show manners and caring, the world treats them better, doesn’t it?” she said.