UF PK-12 Vice President Penny Schwinn presented updates Thursday for a P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School plan of action regarding her previous recommendation to change its admission process.
At a March 8 Board of Trustees meeting, Schwinn originally proposed switching the school’s current lottery system admissions process to a selective enrollment system prioritizing student achievement and performance.
Since her recommendation, the Board of Trustees received over 800 emails from community members opposing any changes to the school’s admissions process, according to Schwinn’s presentation. Over 1,300 students attend P.K. Yonge across elementary, middle and high school.
P.K. Yonge faculty, students and parents have openly opposed the proposal, and the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission also passed resolutions advocating against it.
Schwinn’s plan of action, slated to begin summer 2024, will perform an external evaluation of all P.K. Yonge’s school programming and provide recommendations. It will also form an elementary, middle and high school planning committee that will create an “extensive project plan” for the upcoming 24-25 school year.
From fall until summer 2025, the plan aims to collaborate with the Board of Trustees and the UF advisory team on “potential budget and program shifts.”
Schwinn said many goals for P.K. Yonge compete with each other. While the school must reflect the diversity of the state, Schwinn said it must also “continue to march towards excellence,” reaching to be ranked one of the state’s top 10 schools.
As of 2022, P.K. Yonge was ranked 64th of all Florida high schools.
Schwinn said the competition to become a top 10 school is much harder, as Alachua County is more rural than other densely-populated cities like Miami or Tampa where issues, namely a lack of transportation, are less likely to occur.
Board Chair Mori Hosseini said he “could not accept” the P.K. Yonge community wouldn’t want a higher school rating to “match the excellence recognized at UF.”
“Why would we have P.K. Yonge if we can’t make a difference in people’s lives?” Hosseini said.
“We cannot accept a culture of mediocrity.”
However, UF President Ben Sasse said no changes would be made until further notice.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta.
Sara-James Ranta is a third-year journalism major, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. Previously, she served as a general assignment reporter for The Alligator's university desk.
