WFISD Considers Doing Away With 'Choice Program'
By: Spencer Williams
Updated: November 27, 2012
Overcrowding in Wichita Falls schools has district officials looking to make changes to the "choice program" which allows students to choose which secondary schools they attend.
WFISD school board members discussed the disadvantages and benefits of the program today. Officials say while the program is geared to give students and their families a choice in their education, putting students in schools where they want to be, it also has the potential to make some schools better than others.
Officials say the goal is to give all students a good education, thus needing all good schools. And eliminating transportation to schools within the program was also discussed, in hopes of eliminating costs.
Superintendent Dr. John Fossard said, "Primarily budgetary. We are just getting to the point where we can't afford it anymore. And if we do do away with it how do we do that fairly and humanly. School officials say if buses were to be taken away it wouldn't be done for the next year or two.
No action on either transportation or the choice program was made in the meeting, but many more conversations and possibly studies are to follow.
