Moms, Kids Upset About Proposed School-Boundary Changes

Moms from a neighborhood in Batavia Highlands gave an impassioned plea this week to keep their kids from having to move from Williamsburg Elementary School to Western Avenue School in Geneva next year.

A half dozen or more moms and family members came to Monday's School Board meeting to protest the proposal, which they say would result in just 16 students making the transfer.

The School District had held four public forums in February on the boundary changes and proposed in March to move students from two neighbohoods, one in Batavia Highlands, the other in the downtown Geneva area.

A district task force decided in March not to move students at Mill Creek or Fabyan elementary schools. Parents at Monday's meeting said the task force has decided not to move students from the downtown Geneva area. 

"We feel it's personal. Our children are extremely upset. My 8-year-old goes to bed crying every night wondering why he's not going to be with his friends next year," said Heather Anderson, a resident of Douglas Road.

"Somebody come to my house at night and put my 8-year-old to bed when he's crying, because he has friends he's not going to see next year. I have to deal with that every night," she said. "It's screwing with their emotions. They don't deserve it; they don't need it. Moving 16 kids isn't going to do anything for Williamsburg. What if it was your kids crying every night when they went to bed?"

Michelle Burgwaldt agreed.

"I don't see how 17 kids could make that much of an impact, and I feel like we're being singled out," she said. "I truly don't see how the board can sit before us and say this is OK."

School Board President Mark Grosso said he had responded personally to Burgwaldt's email.

Kelli Trejo spoke with her daughter, Kya, at her side.

"It's like we're not being heard. It's like our feelings mean absolutely nothing," Trejo said. "We don't know if it's because we're from Batavia, we have no idea why. In fact, nobody has really sat down and said, 'this is why Area 20 has to move.' We'd like to know, and we think we deserve to know. We think Kya deserves to know."

Grosso said the School Board will discuss the task force recommendation and take action at the April 22 board meeting.

Related Articles

• First Forum on Geneva Grade-School Boundaries Is Wednesday at Fabyan Elementary
• School-Boundary Forum at Fabyan Raises More Questions
• District 304 Ready to Re-Set Grade-School Boundaries
• 2 Geneva Neighborhoods Likely to Change Grade Schools

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