Re-open Foothill Intermediate School

By Will Moffitt

I will help re-open FIS if a majority of our community expresses the need and commits the necessary financial support.

We need to consider that the district is currently in declining enrollment. None of us would want to spend the money re-opening FIS only to close an elementary school a couple of years later. To make sure this doesn't happen we need an accurate and updated school enrollment projection.

While we discuss and decide the outcome of FIS it is important to note that our current 7/8 program is alive and well and getting stronger under Gaylene Van Zijll's principalship. The new 7/8 building, our new teachers and the added electives have strengthened the program. Our 7/8 students are learning well each day in their classrooms and currently have access to high school teachers and advanced courses because of their presence on the 7-12 site.

The biggest plus in my mind to re-opening FIS is to take students off the elementary sites, freeing up classrooms and playground space. In some ways it would make sense pulling 4-6 grade students, or grades 5 and 6 off the elementary sites so that those populations are closer to 400. But educationally there is no clear advantage to our students at this point.

I am committed, however to our students and our community, and will work diligently to re-open FIS if the community decides that they really want it and are willing to pay for it.

The bottom line is to make sure that our students get the best education possible wherever they go to school.