THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 4, 1996 TAG: 9603040034
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
There weren't any bullet holes in the polished glass case at Camelot Elementary School. The hand-sewn pillows on the top shelf spelled ``Camelot,'' and they were as carefully displayed as the gold masks lining the shelves below.
None of the school's walls was marred by graffiti - rather, they were covered with red hearts and pudgy pigs, in spirit of the school's motto, ``Pig Out on Books.''
``See,'' said Vince Jones, assistant principal at Camelot, pointing at the masks trimmed with glitter.
``I'm most proud of this. These were made by our special education students. They fired them in the kiln themselves. We have so much to be proud about with our students, staff, our school.''
Camelot: the school where some parents don't want the School Board to send their children.
The parents are fighting a proposed plan to adjust attendance zones, shifting about 125 Treakle Elementary School kids to Camelot beginning in September 1997. The Misty Point area parents describe Camelot students as undisciplined. They say the school is in a ``violent'' neighborhood, dragged down by drive-by shootings and drug activity.
``I'm afraid to go there during the day,'' said Veronica Pugh. ``I don't know how they expect us to send our children there.''
The criticism of Camelot has angered many residents, parents and teachers at the school, which has the highest literacy passport test scores in the city.
The accusations also have sparked racial tensions. Indeed, some white parents have complained that their home values would decrease if the elementary school in the predominantly black, mostly middle-class Camelot became the school to which children from their neighborhoods were sent.
``If I would've known my daughter would have to go to that school, I wouldn't have moved here,'' said Deborah Keiser.
``I don't want my daughter to be the only white child in the class.''
Benjamin Webb, a Camelot resident, is offended by the talk.
``Disregard race, creed, color, culture, take off the blinders,'' said Webb, whose children attended the school. ``Accept things unconditionally. If you're going to make conditions, judgments, base them on what you've seen, after you've been to the school.''
Camelot's principal, Lillian Faulk, said she has received only one call from a Treakle parent wanting to visit the school and get information.
``That's what we want the parents to do,'' Faulk said. ``Visit the school and see for themselves.''
The plan for new zones is designed to alleviate overcrowding at Treakle by moving some students about a mile away to Camelot, which will accommodate an additional 200 students when renovations are completed in September. Treakle now has a capacity of 700, although 805 are enrolled; Camelot has a capacity of 550 and serves 576, according to school district records.
Deep Creek Middle School and the new middle school being built on Cedar Road will serve sixth-graders in 1997-98, drawing about 200 from the elementary schools' population.
Projected 1997-98 enrollment for grades K-5 is 605 students at Camelot, which then will be able to handle 750; and 566 at Treakle, with its capacity for 700.
The plan also would:
Balance the impact of ongoing and future residential development on both schools.
Use classroom space at the schools more efficiently.
Provide for ethnic balance at Camelot and Treakle to the maximum extent possible. Currently, Camelot's student population is 92.9 percent black or ``other'' race and 7.1 percent white. Treakle is 47.5 percent black/other and 52.5 percent white.
Whatever the racial breakdown, some students do not want to transfer.
``I wouldn't want to go there. It's a bad school,'' said Christopher Bader, 8, a second-grader. ``Cause my mom said there are people going around shooting up, guys riding around shooting you, drugs and drinking.''
But Camelot supporters say detractors are basing their perceptions on stereotypes rather than reality. One Treakle parent called Camelot a ``war zone,'' referring to a 1991 domestic dispute in which a man shot at his girlfriend who was standing in front of the school. A female student was injured.
``That was an isolated incident and had nothing to do with the school,'' said Tom Cupitt, a spokesman for Chesapeake schools. ``That happened five years ago and that's it. That could've happened in a mall, at a grocery store.''
Crime statistics show that Chesapeake has the lowest number of serious crimes among large cities in the region and has the lowest rate of serious crime. Of the city's 43 homicides in the past three years, two have been in the Camelot area.
And the elementary school has a good reputation for academics, Cupitt said. Four years ago, Camelot strengthened its honor code by revising the principal's list to include only straight-A students; the vice principal's list allows only students with As and Bs. School administrators were impressed and made it a school-wide policy this year. At a Camelot PTA meeting last week, more than 500 certificates for academic achievement, special recognition and perfect attendance were presented to students.
Treakle Principal Diane Martin is one of Camelot's backers.
``I understand (Treakle) parents are speaking from their hearts right now but I don't think the comments were a fair representation of the school and the community,'' said Martin, who was an assistant principal at Camelot 12 years ago.
``You couldn't have asked for a more supportive staff, parents at Camelot. I think in all fairness, parents need to visit the school and see for themselves.''
The second public hearing on the proposed plan will be held March 25th. by CNB