Students at Washington Elementary in downtown San Diego are caught in the middle of debate between two groups of feuding parents and teachers. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
Washington Elementary took-in the students of a failing nearby private school earlier this year. District officials wanted to lure more private school parents into the district and boost enrollment. But so far the move has created a segregated campus. Teacher Jeannie Heffly says the former private school students belong to a special program on one side of the campus that offers field trips, small class sizes and enrichment courses including art, music and PE.
Heffly: Seeing their classes with four and six students and then having eight enrichments a week where the teachers are off doing whatever. It just makes for a really really upsetting work environment because you know your students aren't getting the resources that are there.
And Heffly says that lowers the self esteem of her students, most of whom come from poor and minority families. But parents who come from the defunct private school say the district promised to offer a special program if they enrolled their kids there. Fran Pillersdorf says Washington parents are just being unreasonable.
Pillersdorf: They have the same things they've always had. Us coming there hasn't change their programs we only have our program in which we are saying, welcome there is room.
The situation has gotten so hostile that both groups of parents pleaded their case at recent school board meeting. San Diego school trustee Katherine Nakamura blames district officials for not thinking things through.
Nakamura: Every parent wants music and art for their kids. And to have it right underneath their noses and to not to have access to it -- I can't believe that I am in some sense a part of it and the only excuse that I have was that this was not brought before the board of education.
District officials are only now beginning to address the situation at Washington. Class sizes are being reduced at the traditional school and a leadership team is developing ways for all students to get special enrichment classes.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
