Parents Denied School Choice in Louisville

– Even housing location doesn’t work!

In one of the most dramatic examples yet of how governmental bureaucracy can ride rough shod over parent’s school preferences, the Courier-Journal reports the new student assignment plan in Jefferson County Public Schools is generating hundreds of angry parents.

Some of the individual stories are truly shocking.

In a number of cases, kids who attended kindergarten in one school may wind up going someplace very different – and much further away – in the first grade.

One 5-year old will have to bus 25 miles each way to attend his bureaucracy-assigned school next year. His mother says she is now considering home-schooling.

Even the old rule of thumb that housing location determines school attendance has broken down. Another mom says her family specifically built their home to insure attendance at the elementary school of their choice for their son. The Jefferson County School District assured her that her son would indeed go to Stopher Elementary.

Not So!

Her 5-year old son is now directed to attend Shelby Elementary School, which is 22 miles away!

The furious mom says that had they known this could happen, they would have built in Oldham County, instead.

But, who’s to say that as the public education monolith steals more and more freedom from parents that at some time in the future cross-county busing won’t be directed to meet whatever goal government bureaucrats have set for public schools?

Without better protections for parental choice on the books, nothing is certain except that what is happening in Louisville this year could very well happen somewhere else next time.

If you know other parents in Jefferson County who have similar horror stories to tell about the trashing of parental choice, we’d love to hear from them.

Also, a tip of the hat to Toni Konz at the Courier for a good article and to Kentucky School News & Commentary for blogging this while I was on vacation.