Miscommunication leads to confusion after over-enrollment at Racine school



RACINE (WITI) -- In what the Racine Unified School District now says was a miscommunication, some parents were told Tuesday their children were being displaced from an elementary school due to over-enrollment. This, just a few weeks into the 2013-2014 school year.

"She was like, 'Mommy, I don`t want to leave. Why do I have to leave?'" Jamie Delles told FOX6 News.

Five-year-old Novella left Fratt Elementary School on Tuesday, September 17th with all of her school supplies packed in a paper bag.

Novella's mom says she was contacted by the school on Tuesday morning, and told that her daughter and eight-year-old son were being displaced due to over-enrollment.

When she picked up her children from school on Tuesday, she got a letter saying "your children will now be attending Giese Elementary School."

"I said, 'well what happens?  I don't want them going to Giese so give me another alternative.'  He said 'there are no alternatives. They are not to come here (Wednesday,)'" Delles said.

The Racine Unified School District says it has a history of over-enrollment at certain schools, but re-drew its elementary school boundaries last year to cut back on displaced kids.

"The last thing we want to do is move a student when school has already started. This year we`ve significantly reduced it. We only have one school that has a situation where we`ve got too many students at a couple of grade levels," Stacy Tapp with the Racine Unified School District said.

Fratt Elementary school has a SAGE Program -- which requires a student-teacher ratio of 18-1 or 30-2.

The district says this year, Fratt has 15 students too many.

Delles and her children were among the last to enroll, after moving into their neighborhood in June.

Now, the district is taking responsibility for what it says was a miscommunication. It says all the displaced families have the option of staying at Pratt.

"We'll do what we need to do to make sure the families are satisfied," Tapp said.

Delles is sending both children back to Fratt on Wednesday morning.

"They absolutely love their teachers.  It's a great school," Delles said.

The district says it will hire another teacher at Fratt if need be. On Tuesday night, district officials made phone calls to every family affected to let them know their children are welcome at Fratt if they would like.