Wasson proposes breaking some rules to revitalize itself
Wasson High School wants to survive and thrive.
So it’s seeking approval from the Colorado Springs School District 11 board to break some of the bonds of district policies and state statutes and become a School of Innovation, a state-authorized designation that would give it the freedoms afforded to charter schools.
The plan, unveiled Wednesday at a board work session, got high marks from board members, who will consider it as a nonaction item on April 14 and could approve it later this month.
The board also heard details of a plan to expand Trailblazer Elementary School to include sixth grade and a preschool program, and add a K-6 foreign language program.
Both plans grew out of decisions the board made a year ago to close and consolidate numerous schools. The board directed the administration to develop a plan for Wasson, which had been on the chopping block, and to investigate whether the district should pursue K-8 programs at selected schools, including Trailblazer.
Executive director Jeanice Swift said there was more support in the Trailblazer community for a K-6 school, although the district will continue to examine the pros and cons of adding seventh and eighth grades.
The new configuration and addition of Spanish courses are aimed in part to keep D-11 students from fleeing to nearby Academy School District 20 schools. About 30 percent of Trailblazer fifth graders now opt to attend D-20's Eagleview Middle School, which is in the neighborhood, rather than Holmes Middle School a few miles south.
Wasson's plan also is aimed at attracting more students -- from its neighborhood and elsewhere.
Under the proposal, it would offer a freshman innovation academy so incoming ninth-graders could explore various subjects and decide on a future course of study.
It would have three upper level academies and also offer comprehensive high school courses. The specialty academies would offer courses in the arts, math/science and law/leadership.
“We would have smaller schools within the school, but we would have open access to all students,” Principal Sean Dorsey said.
Some of the policy waivers the school would seek would impact employees, and Dorsey said negotiations and discussions are ongoing.
The Wasson staff voted 50-21 in favor of pursuing a school of innovation. But staffers who are members of the Colorado Springs Education Association voted 26-31 against waiving any portions of the master agreement that covers teachers, Dorsey said.
Dorsey said he had a lot of community support, and expects the school could grow from about 1,000 students to 1,500 students in four years.
“It’s innovate or die, it really is,” he said. “This is a good plan. It’s comprehensive. It isn’t a silver bullet, but this sets us apart. It allows us to be something special and to do the right thing by students.”
If the board approves the plan, the School of Innovation application would go to the state for approval. Dorsey said the state looks for fiscal soundness, impact on student achievement and the legality of waivers.
