Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Fact or Fiction.....

I'm don't often read this website but when I signed on tonight I felt the need to set the record straight or at least as straight as I am able.

1. The Tussing Area can't be ''given back'' to Columbus because they have always been a part of Pickerington. Their right to be in our school district is as solid as Glenshire, Jefferson Farms or Summerfield.

2. If you look at recent test scores you will notice this building does very well in comparison with it's sister elementary schools. We have a solid staff here & that does a great job with its students. We are looking at needs by building & by student & are putting our intervention where it needs to be. Tussing is no more at risk than Pickerington Elementary or Harmon Middle School. It's important that we align intervention as a district at any school that has a need. There are different needs at everyone of our 11 buildings to single out Tussing is only misinformed at best. Our job is to address the needs of any child regardless of the building they attend.

3. To give a piece of land to another district, as I understand it, we need to be contiguous to that district. The PLSD is NOT contiguous at any point with Columbus City Schools therefore we cannot participate in the WIN-WIN with them that some other districts do.

I am sure this doesn't begin to answer all the questions.

If you have other more specific quesitons please reach me on my email listed above.

Thanks,

Lisa

Tussing

Thank you, Lisa. My mother lived in the general area of Tussing Elementary on Tussing Road when she graduated from Violet Township High School over 65 years ago. And, yes, the original name was Violet Township High School. The name was changed to Pickerington High School, in later years, because the residents felt the name change made the school easier to find. This area has always been in our school district, and as you pointed out, does not touch Columbus City School district. I believe it borders Groveport-Madison.

Islands of the CSD

I would not depend on the fact that the Tussing area has always been in the PLSD or Violet district for years. If you look at the Columbus school district map on the Franklin County Auditor web site you will find islands. In fact one of those islands borders the PLSD. That area is west of the Pickerington Ponds just west of Bowen road.

What are you implying?

Are you implying that because CPS has pockets that the PLSD is interested in removing part of our district to give to Columbus?

I can say there has been no discussion of doing this - it's not been or scheduled to be actively discussed.

This is a very long & complicated process to move land from one school district to another & quite frankly I can't imagine what we would tell the State Board of Education why this should be considered.

However, every taxpayer has a right to their opinion. Please come to a Board of Education meeting if you'd like to discuss any topic. We meet the second Tuesday of the month at Heritage Elementary School at 7pm. Sometimes ther is a meeting on the 4th Monday as well but that one is only as needed - so check the website to make sure it's scheduled.