Note: This is
archived info from the original website for the Friends of Dicken Woods. It was written when the Friends were in the process of saving DW
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The Issues
School Crowding
Parents of Dicken Elementary School students are worried about the
possible impact that the proposed higher-density townhouse development
would have on school crowding. At a time when our public schools have
been stretched to their limit by increased social responsibilities,
unfunded government mandates, aging infrastructure, and now severe
budget crises, the possibility of packing even more children into an
already crowded school building is a significant concern.
In addition, the Ann Arbor Public Schools themselves expressed
concern to the City about this Crosswinds proposal. An October 18, 2002
memo from the Ann Arbor Planning Department to Crosswinds' engineering
sub-contractor says:
- "An official from Ann Arbor Public Schools has contacted [city]
staff regarding their concerns about significant student enrollment
increases due to the proposed development. According to AAPS, even 10
new students in a building is a significant increase, and predicts that
50 three-bedroom units could bring in 25 new students or more."
The concerns of Dicken Elementary families were further confirmed in
April 2003 when the Ann Arbor Schools announced the new options for
schools of choice. This program allows students to transfer to another
school within the district when space is available. Sixteen of Ann
Arbor's 21 elementary schools have space available for such transfers.
Dicken is not one of them.
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