When a school district sends out letters to parents, it's going to get some back. But 900 returned out of 7,400 students? Wow.

That's the number returned for incorrct addresses when East St. Louis School District 189 wrote parents recently about changes in bus routes. Not surprisingly, lot of confusion and chaos ensued on those routes.

The bigger concern, though, is the negative effect all that moving has on students. It makes it difficult for students to feel settled, which in turn makes learning a greater challenge.

One of the great gifts parents could give their children is a stable home. At the very least, parents need to update school records when they move so officials can reach them when needed.