The Alamance-Burlington school board approved the district’s recommended school boundary maps Monday.
Of the district’s 22,569 students, the changes will affect 820 students in 11 elementary schools and 620 in three middle schools.
Elementary schools with adjusted boundaries are: Andrews, Holt, Jordan, Garrett, Newlin, Haw River, North Graham, Pleasant Grove, Wilson, South Graham and South Mebane.
Middle schools with adjusted boundaries are: Broadview, Graham, and Southern Alamance.
Now that the board approved the proposed maps, SchoolCAMP, the consulting firm hired by the district, will finalize the maps and compile the lists of families the district needs to notify in writing.
“I appreciate the clarity of the process that [SchoolCAMP] used, the input from various stakeholders, the board, the community,” school board member Charles Parker said during the board’s comments period.
ABSS superintendent Aaron Fleming indicated the district is expecting families to request transfers back to their initial schools or others they would prefer to their assignment.
The school board’s policy states, “Students may not be reassigned into or out of schools that have been redistricted for one school year.” However, families do have a right to appeal and that process starts with a transfer request.
Once the families have been notified of their new school assignment, they can request a transfer.
“They can appeal the administrative decision to the board of education,” Fleming said at the school board meeting. “As your superintendent, I have to go by board policy.”
When district administrators reject the transfer request, families can file their appeal. As the governing body for the school system, the school board can review transfer requests on a case-by-case basis.
Here are a few more takeaways from the board meeting Monday:
What will happen to mobile units?
The new rezoning will allow schools to use their “brick and mortar” capacity and eliminate the need for mobile units, SchoolCAMP researcher Mathew Palmer said.
Will school bus routes improve?
With the new boundaries, long bus rides should decrease, according to Palmer. It is also expected to help avoid what he called “satelliting” – when students have to travel past several schools just to secure an open spot on a bus.
Why weren’t high schools affected?
SchoolCAMP found that high schools aren’t facing dire capacity or enrollment issues like the elementary and middle schools are, and that they have sufficient space for the next 4-5 years. In the long term, however, researchers forecast the need for additional seats which may require another review of the high school boundaries.
When will families be notified of new assignments?
Notifications are expected to go out by mail after spring break, by May 1.
Where can I see if my student’s been reassigned?
Families can visit the district’s School Capacity & Student Assignments page to see the maps. The ones approved are “Elementary Scenario 1” and “Middle School Scenario.” Download the school map for the school you’d like to see. There you can zoom in to find street names and compare them with the colored blocks to see what the zoned school is and whether it has changed.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
