|
|||||
|
The Coweta County Board of Education
approved 2009-10 district lines for the new Brooks Elementary
School and four surrounding elementary schools in northern
Coweta County, at its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 13. The Board voted unanimously to approve district lines recommended by Superintendent Blake Bass and an eight-member Parent Redistricting Committee. The parents who served on the Superintendent’s redistricting advisory committee were appointed by the principals and school councils of Arnco-Sargent, Arbor Springs, Canongate and Northside Elementary Schools, which are the four schools affected by the creation of the new Brooks district. The committee worked with the Superintendent since October to create next year’s district lines for the new school and their schools, all of which are in northern Coweta County. The district lines will become effective in the new school year beginning in August, 2009, when Brooks Elementary School on Jim Starr Road opens. After Tuesday’s redistricting vote, the school board did not take up the issue of “grandfathering” rising fifth-grade students affected by next year’s redistricting. Approval of fifth-grade grandfathering would allow rising fifth graders – this year’s fourth graders – who are affected by new district lines to remain at their current school if parents provide transportation. The Board plans to discuss approving a grandfathering exemption at their February meeting. The Board’s adoption of the district lines allows the school system to register new Kindergarten and pre-Kindergarten students this April for Brooks and all elementary schools, according to the new districts. (Registration for Pre-K classes will follow a March lottery registration and drawing for the limited-space classes). It also allows the school system to move forward with a search for a new principal for Brooks. Superintendent Bass told the Board that he will advertise the position immediately, and anticipated hiring a principal for the school soon in 2009 so that staff decisions and other details of the new school’s opening can be overseen. The district lines approved Tuesday will place an estimated 650 students at the new elementary school, and will leave room for future growth at the four schools affected by the redistricting. In all, new district lines will reduce Arnco-Sargent Elementary School, from 523 to 424 students next year, Arbor Springs Elementary School from 670 to 457 students next year, Canongate Elementary School from 833 to 624 students next year, and Northside Elementary School from 524 to 394 students next year. The estimated student population figures are based on October district enrollment reports, and will likely be slightly higher in each case next year. Following school system practice for many years, the Superintendent asked affected schools to appoint two parents from each school to serve on an advisory committee that recommended a final form of the new district lines. The committee met from October through January to work with school system staff in drawing district lines based on school system map databases, examining district lines, school populations, district enrollment growth, transportations lines, state and federal law and other factors involving school districts. The committee approved a set of preliminary maps in December, which were placed in the four affected schools for further parent comment and discussion. Meeting again on January 8, the parent committee voted unanimously to recommend the presented map to the superintendent for his and the school Board’s consideration. The final map approved by the committee made two changes based on parent comments: placing the Lake Coweta neighborhood in Brooks Elementary School’s district and a southern portion of Watcher Road in Northside Elementary School’s district. Superintendent Blake Bass said that he has worked with several parent committees in recent years, and praised the eight parents who recommended the maps voted on Tuesday. The parents were independent, dedicated to the process and extremely thorough in examining contingencies and details involved in drawing lines, said Bass. Bass noted that three of the eight members voluntarily drew their homes out of their current school districts, despite wanting to stay in those current districts. “When we have to redistrict, no one wants to move,” said Bass. “These are good schools and good parents” with a strong involvement in their children’s education, he said. “It’s always a tough decision.” A parent from Arbor Springs elementary spoke at Tuesday’s board meeting, and asked the Board to consider leaving her neighborhood in place next year. Board members discussed the maps at length, and praised the parent committee members for their work and for taking on a difficult and unpopular task. The board voted to accept the Superintendent’s and the committee’s recommendation without alteration. In a report related to the redistricting, Associate Superintendent Jerry Davis said that work on the new Brooks Elementary School is proceeding quickly, with much of the exterior work and the roof anticipated for completion by late January. Completing those projects will allow for interior work to be finished despite inclement weather. The construction of the school – Coweta’s 19th elementary school – is currently on schedule, Davis said.  2009-10 school year district lines for Brooks Elementary School – which is under construction on Jim Starr Road in northern Coweta county, above – were adopted by the Coweta County Board of Education Tuesday. The school board adopted district lines for brooks and four surrounding schools recommended by Superintendent Blake Bass and an eight-person parent redistricting committee. The version recommended by the committee was nearly identical to versions on display in Arnco-Sargent, Arbor Springs, Canongate and Northside Elementary Schools since December. |