Here is one of the letters that will appear in this week's print edition regarding the District 112 high school boundaries proposal. Feel free to add your views on the issue. 

Dear Superintendent Jennings, School Board Members, and Boundary Task Force, 

      I am a parent within the Chanhassen community (in the Stone Creek neighborhood) of a 4th grader and a 6th grader.   Even prior to my imagining the possibility that our neighborhood could possibly be effected by the boundary proposals (http://www.district112.org/boundary_change.html), I strongly believed in keeping communities together.  As I'm sure you are aware, the Stone Creek neighborhood is literally a baseball's throw away from the New High School (hereafter I will be referring to the school as the New High School since calling it Chanhassen High School would be clearly ridiculous - I thought of calling it the Carver/Victoria/Slice of Chan School, but it sounded a bit clumsy).

      As our kids grow, I know as parents and the school district we share the goal of ensuring that the kids in District 112 are well prepared to become effective contributing members to the global community.  On a family level, we invest endless hours of time training our kids in the way they should go, so that when they grow up and are apart from us, they will have our family's values instilled in them.  Just as a strong family life is important in giving our kids the confidence and strength to take on the world, a strong sense of community will encourage each child to be accountable - enabling them to do their best academically while encouraging investing in that same community that they've grown up in.  

      I have valued the sense of community that we currently have and I believe it does improve educational outcomes.  For example, although transitions between schools (grade school to middle school or middle school to high school) can be socially challenging and deter learning, when my son started 6th grade at Chaska Middle School West this year the social transition to middle school couldn't have been better.  My son already knew so many kids in the community (between Bluff Creek Elementary and Chanhassen  Elementary) from  Chanhassen Athletic Association sports and other Chanhassen community activities starting as early as preschool age (i.e. swim lessons, music lessons, library activities, Chanhassen Rec Center activities, church, etc).   

      I noticed at the first boundary meeting I attended, that whenever the "keeping communities together" issue came up, it was assumed it had to do primarily with sports.  I couldn't disagree more.  No matter what is decided with boundaries and feeder schools, there is going to be competition between current/future New High School and Chaska High School sport teams.  That is a given - as it already happens between Chanhassen Athletic Association sports teams and Chaska sports teams in 6th grade at Chaska Middle School West!  Whether kids are involved in sports or not, it can only be viewed as a positive thing for kids to feel part of  their school and community all through out their school years.   

    While of course preserving and/or improving effective academic outcomes is the goal in any District 112 decision, it doesn't seem prudent to ignore the negative impacts that selecting Proposal #2 will have on the community.  Other than stripping a sense of community from Chanhassen, neighborhood house values will be effected.  Just as an example, if Proposal #2 were approved, the Stone Creek neighborhood would be a less desirable neighborhood in which to live.  Stone Creek would inherit the undesirable costs of butting up to New High School without any of the benefits.  Undesirable aspects include: currently putting up with the noise and dirt of construction; future lighting, noise, and parking of sporting events; and the additional risk of having our kids bus and drive their cars to the remotely located Chaska High School - all while crossing paths with kids driving the opposite way home from New School that is not located by their neighborhood either.  Diversity does have a value, but if academic outcomes are the primary concern it seems that while New School would gain diversity, it is at too high a cost (that of community).  I don't think it is proven that by seating diverse kids together, one gains improvement in academic outcomes.  If the goal of maintaining relationships made in the community is removed, other education choices begin to look more desirable, such as Minnetonka schools and Holy Family to name a few of the obvious choices.      

Advertisement. Article continues below.

    I additionally wonder if the referendum for a second high school would have even passed if people knew where the boundaries would fall and that open enrollment was not an option...

    While no matter what is decided,  I feel my specific kids will adapt (or we will find an education solution that we are satisfied with), however if current proposal  #2 is approved I feel sad for the missed opportunity for the future kids in our communities.  A sense of community is what keeps kids accountable (academically and socially) and parents motivated to stay involved with the school. 

Please keep the communities together!

Peggy Emerson 

Chanhassen