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School board moving forward with elementary redistricting
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Published: December 8, 2009
CONCORD - Most of the members of Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education said Monday they want to move forward with a redistricting plan that uses Rocky River Road as a boundary for deciding what students will go to Harrisburg or to the new Patriots elementary schools.
The board will vote on the plan at its business meeting next Monday. This redistricting plan will accommodate the new Patriots and replacement A.T. Allen elementary schools, which are currently being constructed.
With the current plan to be voted on, subdivisions south of Rocky River Road are in the Patriots district, and the ones north of it are within the Harrisburg Elementary boundary.
By using Rocky River as a natural boundary, this plan now places the Cabarrus Woods subdivision and surrounding areas in the Patriots Elementary district. In original proposals, that area was in the Harrisburg Elementary district because of transportation issues.
To follow its own natural boundary rule, the board said it would make sense to include the area in the Patriots Elementary district.
Staff for the school system recommended this plan because it justified why residents in the Bradford Park neighborhood should also attend Patriots Elementary School by being consistent in using the boundary. The plan also has lower 2010 enrollment projections for Harrisburg and higher ones for Patriots.
The school board held a public hearing on Monday, before its work session for Cabarrus Woods, Victoria Park and Brookdale Village Townhomes that were affected by new changes to the plan.
Five people spoke on Monday, and most were residents of Bradford Park asking again to stay at Harrisburg Elementary. Two weeks ago, more than half of the speakers at another public hearing were from Bradford Park.
At both hearings, Bradford Park residents presented their own proposal. School board member Andrea Palo said Monday she wanted the board to consider this plan, but other members said it would be more difficult to keep the neighborhood in the Harrisburg district, especially with future railroad construction.
Parents from other neighborhoods who spoke on Monday said they understood why redistricting had to happen but asked that the board consider the effects on students and maintain standards set at Harrisburg Elementary.
"You can't please everyone, so please just be fair," said Bill Kwiatkowski, speaking on behalf of Britley neighborhood in Harrisburg.
At the past two public hearings, parents mentioned their concern for redistricting when a new school is built in the Harrisburg area several years from now. Several board members dismissed this idea, due to lack of funding.
"It may be seven years before another elementary school is built in Harrisburg," new board chair Wayne Williams said.
During the board's vote, Palo and Mike Helms were the two present members dissenting to move forward with the plan using Rocky River as a boundary. Board member Carolyn Carpenter was not at the meeting.
At last month's public hearing, A.T. Allen Elementary parents also asked for their children to stay and move to the replacement school they said they fought hard for and not be transferred to Rocky River Elementary. Original plans proposed transferring students from A.T. Allen to Rocky River Elementary and vice versa.
New board vice-chair Cindy Fertenbaugh requested adding into the board's plan the proposal that would keep the students at A.T. Allen there and those at Rocky River at their current school and not flip flop them.
Other board members agreed this would address many of the redistricting issues.
The board will vote on the elementary redistricting plan, which uses Rocky River Road as a boundary and does not flip flop A.T. Allen and Rocky River Elementary students, at its Dec. 14 business meeting at 6 p.m.
At Monday's meeting, board members also briefly discussed middle and high school redistricting options.
There have been few changes from previous redistricting plans, said Jim Amendum, associate superintendent for the school system.
The one change Amendum mentioned was that it created a contiguous boundary that separated the Oak Crest Apartments from Royal Oaks Garden Apartments. Board members said they liked this version better.
The board will have a public hearing regarding middle and high school redistricting plans on Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Education Center. After the hearing, the board will have a discussion regarding the boundaries.
• Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152
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