Close to 1,200 students could be affected by Cherokee County School District's boundary redrawing process that will begin next month.
Boundary focus group meetings will begin Dec. 1.
The redistricting is needed to determine who will attend the new Mill Creek Middle School under construction in southeast Cherokee, which is designed to hold 1,200 students.
The annual process also usually addresses new neighborhoods, population surges and whether adjustments to boundary lines need to be made to reduce overcrowding.
The school board will conduct a public input meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 and will consider voting on the proposed boundaries at 7 p.m. Feb. 5.
The district's first round of meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Holly Springs Elementary, Dec. 2 at Dean Rusk Middle, Dec. 8 at Woodstock Middle, Dec. 10 at Mill Creek Middle, Dec. 11 at Carmel Elementary and Dec. 12 at Woodstock Elementary.
Teasley Middle and Cherokee High will meet together at the high school on Dec. 16, Creekland and Creekview will meet together at the high school on Dec. 17 and Sequoyah High will meet on Dec. 18.
If necessary, the district will conduct a second round of meetings beginning in January.
Holly Spring's second meeting is tentatively set for Jan. 7; Dean Rusk on Jan. 8; Woodstock Middle on Jan. 14; Carmel on Jan. 20; Woodstock Elementary on Jan. 15; Teasley and Cherokee on Jan. 13; Creekland and Creekview on Jan. 12; and Sequoyah on Jan. 6.
District officials will use community input to come up with its recommended school boundaries for the 2009-10 school year, which will require the school board's approval.
The meetings are being conducted earlier this school year to make the process "more in line" with the district's reappointment, transfers, staffing and budget schedule, according to Mike McGowan, director of public information, communications and partnerships.
McGowan added the district has no pre-conceived redistricting plans nor the exact number of students who will be impacted by boundary redrawings.
"It's way too early to know how many students will be affected," he said. "We're just seeking community input."
District officials also have not made any finals plans as far as grade configuration, he said.
Many in the community have suggested using a model similar to the Creekland Middle and Creekview High school configuration, according to the district. There, they opened the middle school with sixth,- seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students for the first year. The second year of its operations, when the high school opened, the middle school served only the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
Little, if any, concerns or questions about redistricting have been raised so far, according to district staff.
"Once the meetings begin, we will all know what parent's concerns are for this year's session," said Russ Sims, assistant superintendent for support services and facilities/construction management.
Sequoyah High PTA Vice President Dede DeCosta of Hickory Flat said she's talked to a few people in passing who had questions about the process.
"It's just a wait and see attitude," said Mrs. DeCosta, whose child is a senior at the school.
Creekland Middle PTSA Vice President Ludi Allen of Avery agreed, saying the questions asked by parents aren't ones of concerns or negativity.
"It's been pretty much quiet," she said.
Labels: Cherokee COunty, creekland middle, Redistricting, sequoyah high school
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 8:31 AM
