a future filled with questions - AWS

A FUTURE FILLED WITH QUESTIONS After the cancellation of the Normandy transfer program, many lawsuits slowly lead to the return of students they graduated so that meant my senior year was going to be awful because I wouldn’t have any friends and would have to make all new ones.” or the 2014-15 school year, it was anDominique’s mother, Robin Edwards, was nounced in June that students from Nor- involved with this decision to stay at FHN. mandy would no longer be allowed to She knew from the beginning of last year that attend schools in the FHSD. However, on Aug. Dominique would continue her education in 15, a hearing was held involving five students the FHSD regardless of the uncertainty of the to decide whether they should student transfer law. be able to attend the schools “I knew from the beginning that Important dates: they had gone to the previous if the program were to be canJune: FHSD announces year using the transfer program. celled, we would move,” Edwards they will no longer accept The judge ruled in favor of the said. “I wasn’t all that shocked that Normandy students students, stating they would be the program wasn’t continued. She August 15: Lawsuit allowed to continue their educacould’ve returned to her old school results in the return of five tion at their alternative schools but I just didn’t want to make her students effective immediately. This only move schools. Ultimately staying Sept. 3: Pam Sloan sends applied to those five students. was the best decision we could a letter out to the comWithin the following week, anmake.” munity and parents of the other hearing was held to allow While returning to North withDistrict addressing what’s additional students to return to out her friends from Normandy going on with Normandy accredited schools as well. This was difficult, Dominique is still case had the same outcome. happy overall to have the opporAs of press time, 17 students have returned to tunity to stay at FHN for her senior year and, in FHSD from the Normandy school district. her opinion, to get a better education. With this outbreak of lawsuits, FHSD is now “It was better than having to switch schools preparing for a class action lawsuit. This means again senior year,” Taylor said. “I’m happy I’m the lawsuit would cover all Normandy students, still at this school so I didn’t have to go through not just a small group or family. Superintendent that whole process of changing [schools] again.” Pam Sloan sent out a letter on Sept. 3 to parents Dominique may have her friends from Norand the community to informing them of the mandy return after all. In Greiner’s opinion, the situations. The district is preparing for this by go- future for Normandy is very uncertain. Greiner ing through the same process of how the schools and his colleagues only hope to see students in will accommodate Normandy students like they the Normandy School District receive a good eddid going into the 2013-14 school year. ucation, whether it is at Normandy High School “If the judge makes that decision for the or at one of the three high schools in FHSD. students to return, we need to be able to react “I was originally relieved to know that quickly,” FHSD Chief Academic Officer Chris Normandy would no longer be bankrupting Greiner said. “We’re talking about how we can themselves,” Greiner said. “The District was hopsupport the different buildings and working with ing they would fix the transfer law because we transportation.” knew Normandy would become bankrupt if the Senior Dominique Taylor participated in the program continued. I feel pretty confident that Normandy transfer program for her junior year. the transfer law will be changed or modified in When she found out that the program would not the future. But regardless, I’ve been really proud be continued for the 2014-15 school year, her of our district and how our schools and teachers family made the decision to move to be able to have embraced this change. They really made stay at FHN for her senior year. the students feel welcome and if the Normandy “I was super upset when I heard the program students were to return, I’m sure they would wasn’t going to be continued this year,” Taylor repeat that because they really showed how they said. “Most of my friends are from Normandy or cared about them.”

BY ALEXIS TAINTER

[email protected] • @Lexis_Taint

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North Star Volume 29 Issue 2 09.17.14