2010-11 OOMS Overcrowding FAQ

Updated: April 22, 2010

Olentangy Local Schools has been addressing an overcrowding situation at Olentangy Orange Middle School (OOMS) that will reach unacceptable levels during the 2010-11 school year. A one-year solution must be addressed and the district discussed three possible solutions with student, parent and staff member groups and reviewed more than 739 paper and online feedback forms before making its final decision

For the 2010-11 school year, 150 OOMS sixth grade students who will attend Olentangy Berkshire Middle School (OBMS) for the 2011-12 school year will be housed at Olentangy Orange High School (OOHS).

The following are some frequently asked questions we have received so far. Additional questions may be added in the future.

Have you considered other options?

Yes, the district has been looking at this overcrowding situation for some time and did consider other options such as:

having current fifth grade students that would have normally attended school at OOMS for sixth grade in 2010-11 remain at their existing elementary school;
moving a number of or all students in a particular grade level to another middle school where limited additional space is available;
bringing portable classrooms on to school property and keeping all students at OOMS; and,
moving a number of or all students in a particular grade level to Olentangy Orange High School (OOHS).

While each of these options creates interesting points, for budgetary and curricular reasons, these choices were paired down to three choices that all involved moving at least 150 OOMS students to OOHS. Some basic information related to these options is outlined below.

Option A moves the approximately 150 sixth grade students who are in the OBMS attendance area to OOHS. Because of the age group of these students and their curricular needs, it does allow for the most similar middle school experience. The students would be mostly contained in a singular wing of OOHS and extracurricular challenges, such as after school sports, would not be impacted as most of these options are not available to sixth grade students.
Option B moves 150 eighth grade students to OOHS. The student selection process would be random, but any students participating in after school extracurricular activities may have transportation/communication challenges. This option involves hiring additional staff members and creating a higher cost to the district, as the eighth grade curriculum has additional Unified Arts programs that would have to be split between the two schools.
Option C moves all eighth grade students to OOHS. In this option, OOMS students would be fully immersed in the high school experience. Due to the number of students, there would be no way to separate OOMS and OOHS students, especially for lunch periods and class changes. The eighth grade students would operate on the high school schedule and ride high school buses. There are additional staffing costs, extracurricular challenges and scheduling challenges with this option.

Why did you select the sixth grade option?

While no solution is perfect, the option of moving the approximately 150 sixth grade students in the OBMS attendance area provided the least amount of disruption for students. Challenges with most of the extracurricular activities do not exist at this level. Also, a common theme from students, parents and staff members was not to split the eighth grade class and to leave them all at OOMS. Many felt these students had been part of this school for two years and that they deserve their opportunity to serve as the school’s leaders rather than spending a fifth year at a high school.

Once the student, parent and staff member feedback was reviewed, the decision was made to not split the eighth grade class. The extreme challenges presented by moving the entire eighth grade class also became very clear. Among the many challenges with this possible solution, these students would have lost one hour of core instructional time per day. This is because high school class periods are shorter than middle school core periods and under option C these students would have operated on the high school schedule.

In a perfect world, none of these choices would be necessary. However an overcrowding problem does exist and after reviewing all of the student, parent and staff feedback and conducting months of research, Olentangy Local Schools’ administrators feel that moving the approximately 150 OOMS sixth grade students that will also transition to OBMS to OOHS for this one school year is the best solution available at this time.

Will OOMS students be integrated with OOHS students in the hallways?

No, OOMS students will have their own partially dedicated wing and will operate on their own schedule, separate from the OOHS students. The district may find some creative ways for OOHS students to positively work with OOMS students, such as a mentoring program or homework help, but high school and middle school students will not have significant contact with each other.

Will OOMS students have lockers next to OOHS students?

No, OOMS students will have their own lockers in their own partially hallway so they will not share lockers or locker areas with OOHS students.

Will parents and/or students have the opportunity to tour OOHS before the 2010-11 school year begins?

Yes, a parent orientation meeting will take place at OOHS, 2840 E. Orange Road, on May 4 at 7 p.m. Students will preview OOHS with Ms. Carla Baker the week of May 17. Additional opportunities will be scheduled for the fall.

What about services such as guidance and gifted, will these be available to these students?

The district is providing full guidance services, including career exploration, to the OOMS students that are housed at OOHS. The same is true for mediation, mentoring, gifted and any other service any OOMS student may need. All student educational needs will be met.

What about nursing services or if my child becomes ill at OOHS?

OOHS already has a school clinic and will be able to provide any needed services to OOMS students as well. This area is well monitored by clinic aides, a nurse and other adults who can offer various levels of support.

What if my child is on an IEP?

Individual Education Plans (IEP) will be in place and appropriately supported regardless of where a child physically attends classes. If a student is not able to receive their individual services at OOHS, then they will remain at OOMS. Again, the students educational needs will be met.

How will extra curricular activities and clubs work?

Sixth grade students do not have many opportunities for extra curricular activities, as they do not participate in athletics through the school. The district is still looking at clubs and student council activities. There are several options and the district will figure out the details of how to best offer these important opportunities to all students

Will students be able to attend OOMS assemblies?

Yes, all OOMS students will be able to attend any OOMS assembly that is applicable to their grade level/team.

Will students be able to attend OOHS dances?

No. These events are for OOHS students and OOMS students will not be able to attend.

What are the differences between middle and high school lunches?

Olentangy Local Schools has dedicated food service staff members at all of our schools that will be available to help any student at any time. High school lunches do offer a few more choices, but all of Olentangy’s schools are part of the National School Lunch program that is dedicated to providing high quality meals that meet specific dietary guidelines.

What about the library and age appropriate materials?

OOHS will have a dedicated section of middle school materials for the OOMS students. Also, the media specialists at OOMS and OOHS will be able to offer assistance to OOMS students as needed.

What kind of parent involvement will be in place – OBMS PTO?

Carla Baker, OBMS principal, will work with parents to create the OBMS PTO and other OBMS school environment pieces. All Olentangy parents are welcome to become involved in their child’s school experience.

Which teachers will be at OOHS?

OOMS has a great teaching staff that is filled with many qualified people to fill these teaching positions. The OOMS administrators, who know the OOMS staff members, will make all staffing decisions and will select teachers who will work well in this situation while also maintaining the quality teaching level at OOMS. Tentative teacher assignments will be made before the end of the 2009-10 school year, but a final decision will not be made until summer hiring is complete.

Will these teachers also move to OBMS when it opens?

The only staffing position for OBMS that has been selected is the Principal, Carla Baker. She has just been hired for that position and part of her role during the 2010-11 school year will be to staff OBMS. These positions will be open to all qualified Olentangy staff members as well as some external candidates as well. While there is no guarantee that the OOMS staff members that will be working with these students for the 2010-11 school year will also move on to OBMS, they are welcome to apply if they so choose.

What about the Where Everyone Belongs (W.E.B.) program, will it still exist?

Yes. While the program may look a little different, perhaps using former OOMS students as W.E.B. leaders, the program will continue for the OOMS students that are housed at OOHS. The concepts of acceptance and leadership play a strong role in all of Olentangy’s schools.

What about an Intra district Transfer option?

Intra district transfers are an opportunity for parents to apply for their student(s) to attend another Olentangy school outside of their assigned attendance zone. The middle school deadline for this process for the 2010-11 school year is April 23. Notices regarding these applications are made by the first full week of school and the district does not provide transportation for these students. Since any students who will be housed at OOHS are already assigned to the OOMS attendance area, parents may not request an Intra district transfer from OOHS to OOMS.

How will student transportation to OOMS and OOHS work?

Students attending class at OOHS will ride the regular bus routes with all the other OOMS students. They will be dropped off at OOMS and exit their normal bus. However, they will then board a shuttle bus that will take them to OOHS in time for their classes to begin at 8:10 a.m. A similar process will take place in the afternoon. Students will board the shuttle bus at OOHS at 3:05 p.m. and be dropped off at OOMS for regular dismissal at 3:10 p.m. to ride their regular bus home that afternoon.

When will students each lunch?

OOMS students will eat lunch at OOHS at approximately 12:30 p.m. so a mid-morning snack will not be needed. OOMS Students will not share the cafeteria with high school students, as the high school students are done with lunch and in classes at that time.