Chris Talton, president of Goodman Community Center
Goodman Center president Chris Talton: 'The strength of this community gives us confidence that, should advocacy be needed again, we will be ready.'
The Madison school district has switched gears on a plan to end district busing to the Goodman Center’s after-school programs from nearby Emerson and Lowell elementary schools.
In a June 1 letter to the center, deputy superintendent Dr. TJ McCray said the decision had been “re-evaluated” and that the district “decided to postpone” transportation cuts for the next school year. McCray added that the district hopes the delay will allow enough time to “find alternative solutions to accommodate students’ needs.”
Isthmus reported last week that Goodman officials were pushing back against the district’s plan to end a 15-year-old bus service transporting K-5 students to their after-school program. The district had cited an audit finding that the service was no longer eligible under district policy.
Goodman staff told Isthmus at the time that they were disappointed both with that decision and the way it was communicated.
Goodman president Chris Talton celebrated the district’s change of heart in a June 1 email to supporters and credited the advocates who came forward. “The strength of this community gives us confidence that, should advocacy be needed again, we will be ready,” he wrote.
Going forward, McCray said in his letter to Goodman that the district would be interested in exploring solutions the center has itself proposed, including “cost-sharing models or volunteer recruitment assistance.”
Florence Edwards-Miller, director of communications and annual giving for Goodman, tells Isthmus that the center does not “want to start the discussion by ruling anything out.”
No meeting has yet been set, but Edwards-Miller says the center is eager to begin conversations with district administration and they are optimistic that they will find a solution that works for everyone.
