Mom tries to get son into BG school - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

The 13abc I-Team is trying to get to the bottom of a problem that's leaving one child home from school while a district tries to open its arms to him.  In the middle, one mom who will not give up on her child. 

The story all revolves around the numbers at Crim Elementary in Bowling Green.  At the start of the year, they had 50 kids enrolled in the third grade.  Two more than they wanted.  Now the school is at 48, with two children leaving the school this week.  But with the perfect number one young man is still not guaranteed that he will stay there.

Stephen Bauknecht's mother Kelly Molnar has not yet started him in BG schools which started earlier this week.

"I'm so tired of people not standing up and letting... to me the bullies are winning and I'm not going to let it happen anymore," said Molnar. 

Last year, Stephen says he was bullied at Conneaut elementary.  Molnar transferred him to Crim elementary where she says he excelled.

"Immediately grades went up, started eating, he was doing so good in school.  He was happy and laughing again.  So many friends.  He loved school and they loved him there," said Molnar. 

Stephen can enroll in Crim this year, but if more families move in to put the number over 48 he will be moved.

"You can't just uproot a child.  You can't send a child and make all these friends and then say you know what we don't have anymore room someone moved into the area," said Molnar.

13abc spoke with Superintendent Ann McVey.  She says that district policy is that kids who live or move into the neighborhood get preferences in their neighborhood school.  With already two kids leaving Crim this week, she believes there will be room for him.  In fact she says she's never seen a time where a child could not be worked in. 

But it's not a guarantee.  Something Molnar wants.

"Why not send him where he's comfortable?  How hard is that?  One child," said Molnar.

Superintendent McVey says she always wants what's best for the kids and uses the mantra come one come all.

She really wants Stephen to at least enroll in Crim to get his year started.  Kenwood Elementary is an option, but Molnar says he would need to start over there again with new friends.