Board Considers Changes at Student Assignment Work Session
January 30, 2008 – Several changes were discussed to the 2008-09 Growth Management Proposal during work sessions held by the Board of Education on Jan. 25 and Jan. 28.The board devoted two days to reviewing the 2008-09 Growth Management Proposal that will assign students to three new elementary schools. In their discussions, they took straw votes indicating their support for changes that will remove 370 students from the proposal.
Changes from the straw votes affect these nodes:
- The Board made a preliminary decision to leave nodes 418.1, 418.2, and 418.5 assigned for year-round applications and transportation to Oak Grove Elementary rather than assigning them to Adams Elementary.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a staff recommendation to split node 242.0 and assign only the 70 students who reside in the portion of the node south of Trawick Road to Brooks. The other 30 students living in the area north of Trawick Road will remain assigned to Durant Road Elementary for two more years. When renovations are completed at Wilburn Elementary, that portion of the node will be reassigned to Wilburn.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a staff recommendation to remove nodes 391.4 and 391.5 from the plan. Those nodes will remain assigned to Davis Drive Elementary until the opening of Alston Ridge Elementary causes further reduction in the areas assigned to Green Hope Elementary.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a staff recommendation to remove node 511.0 from the plan. The original staff recommendation was to reassign this node from Creech to Rand but staff stated that this action may conflict with future recommendations related to the assignment of students to the new Bryan Road Elementary in 2009.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a staff recommendation to remove node 497.2 from the plan. The original staff recommendation was to reassign this node from Smith Elementary to Penny Road Elementary, but staff stated that this action may conflict with future recommendations related to the assignment of students to the new Bryan Road Elementary in 2009.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a staff recommendation to remove node 444.6 from the plan. The original staff recommendation was to reassign this node from Penny Road Elementary to Salem Elementary, but staff stated that this action may conflict with efforts to make schools comparable because node 497.2 is not being moved to Penny Road Elementary.
- The Board gave preliminary approval to a proposal to guarantee placement of students at a year-round school if a node is reassigned from a year-round school to a traditional calendar school and the parents apply for placement at the year-round school during the February calendar option application period and if the students were attending the year-round school during the school year prior to reassignment.
- The Board noted that nodes 371.2 and 371.6, which staff has recommended for assignment to Laurel Park Elementary, were reassigned within the past two years to Briarcliff Elementary. The Board decided that any applications for the traditional calendar option from those nodes (which is Briarcliff) for students who are currently at Briarcliff Elementary will be automatically approved.
- Similarly, the Board noted that nodes 318.1, 318.3, and 655.0 were reassigned within the past three years to Brier Creek Elementary, and that staff has recommended that those nodes be reassigned from Brier Creek Elementary to Leesville Road Elementary. The Board decided to let 3rd graders from those nodes as well as 4th and 5th graders receive automatic approval if they apply for a transfer to stay at Brier Creek Elementary during the May transfer application period and if they attended Brier Creek Elementary this year.
No proposed changes are final until the Board of Education’s vote scheduled for Feb. 5.
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