School Board Makes Plans for Area Redistricting

With the addition of a ninth elementary school in the district next fall, redistricting will be necessary to balance the capacity problems present in four of the eight existing elementary schools and to keep the two feeder school systems intact.

The redistricting for Elementary No. 9 "will be the most complex this district has ever undertaken," said Steve Scroggs, assistant superintendent for support services.

These difficulties are caused by the new school's proximity to Glenwood and Ephesus elementary schools, in conjunction with the overcrowding at Seawell and McDougle elementary schools.

Scroggs said that the middle school redistricting process in 1999 went smoothly and that the only students who will have to change schools twice under this plan are this year's fourth-grade students, who will be rising fifth-grade students when the plan is enacted.

A limited grandfather clause will be enacted in conjunction with the newly defined districts, allowing some students to stay at their first school.

While it was predetermined that rising fifth-, eighth- and 12th-grade students will have the option to remain at their previous schools, the board decided to give rising 11th-grade students the same opportunity.

"The 11th-grade year is very important for getting into college," Scroggs said.

Students also will be able to transfer into the school that their older siblings attend as long as that school is not already overcrowded, said board member Elizabeth Carter.

Transportation will not be provided for any student choosing to attend a school other than the one the new redistricting plan has assigned them to, Carter said.

The process for defining the new plan will include eight working meetings for the committee, three public hearings and two board presentations.

The redistricting committee will ideally consist of parents from each of the elementary, middle and high schools in the district, said board member Maryanne Rosenman.

Committee members also will include central office staff, administrators, board members and family specialists representing each school level.

The three public hearings the board will be hosting on the issue are more than have been conducted for past redistricting issues.

"I don't want individuals to feel like they've been boxed out," Carter said. "We need to keep communicating."

She later said that as many parents as possible need to attend the hearings for this purpose.

But there will be no time available at the hearings for personal testimonials.

"The committee will (only) be responsive to public comment which focuses on policies and issues relating to the entire district and not individual situations and circumstances," said board member Lisa Stuckey.

The board is attempting to televise one of the public hearings so the general public can understand the related issues and see what progress has been made on the plan.

Plans also will be printed throughout the redistricting process.

"Local papers have been kind enough to agree to print the plans after we've done some work," said board member Nicholas Didow.

Scroggs also is in the process of setting up a mailing address and an e-mail address for concerned citizens to send written comments.

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.