So you think Chapel Hill schools avoid redistricting??? (Greensboro, Carrboro: neighborhood, elementary schools)

[poppydog]

I grew up in NC and lived in the same house the whole time I was growing up and ended up switching schools 6 times due to redistricting and busing. Sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades were all in different schools. It's not ideal but it's easier if some of your neighborhood friends have to switch too.

Some people really do like to complain and I imagine that's who Jamzetta is talking about in that article.

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by Dark of the Moon

Wake County's districts may be pretty messy right now but, really, any area of the country that experiences growth is also going to -- at some point -- experience redistricting.

Dark is right. (And I'm not just saying that to suck up to our gracious and benevolent moderator!) CHCCS opens a new school every several years, and when that happens addresses have to be reshuffled to rebalance the schools. It doesn't happen as extensively as some areas of Wake County, but it does happen. In my time in Chapel Hill, we've been redistricted for high schools from East to Chapel Hill High. Fortunately, though, we didn't have any kids affected by the change when it happened.

CHCCS looks at many of the same factors that Wake County has used in setting school attendance boundaries, as noted in the referenced article:

Balancing school populations, student achievement levels, socioeconomic factors and geography will be challenging enough. In the past, figures for free and reduced lunch recipients were used to assess socioeconomic status. The USDA recently decided that this information is private and cannot be used as a measuring tool.

The one major difference from Wake County is that CHCCS doesn't constantly re-assess and re-balance school populations. It just sets the attendance zones and leaves them fixed until a new school opening necessitates a change.

[toot68]

Chapel Hills redistrictings have been pretty mellow in the past because the new schools have gone into areas of high development. Mcdougal (north carborro), Scroggs (southern village) Rashkis (Meadowmont) and Morris Grove (Lake Hogan Farms) were all filled the day they opened with nearby families happy to have a new school nearby.

The new elementary is the first "in town" elementary school to open since I've been here, and since it does not have the same density of nearby families, it will likely be a bit more of a change than the openings in the past.

[huckdisc]

Originally Posted by twingles

So true. What's there to be upset about it? People wonder why the special snowflakes these days can't handle anything....it's the parents who are to blame. I had to switch schools as a kid due to re-districting, my parents didn't make it out to be any big deal and while I really didn't want to switch schools, I just went with the flow. Nowadays my parents would have me propped up in front of the school board whining and complaining.

I think the principle issue with most people who showed up at the school board meeting was the amount of busing required to achieve balanced schools in the plan versions 1-3. Those plans will send some elementary students past 3 other closer schools and triple or quadruple busing times. It's an unnecessary burden and risk that is obviated by the adoption of the 4th plan which emphasizes neighborhood schools.

[evaofnc]

Originally Posted by twingles

So true. What's there to be upset about it? People wonder why the special snowflakes these days can't handle anything....it's the parents who are to blame. I had to switch schools as a kid due to re-districting, my parents didn't make it out to be any big deal and while I really didn't want to switch schools, I just went with the flow. Nowadays my parents would have me propped up in front of the school board whining and complaining.

This. I had to change schools three times in Wake. I had a 30+ minute bus ride for two of those schools. What did my parents say about it? Nothing. Or maybe a, "That's life," once or twice. As long as I was getting a sound education they were happy. I'm sure there were parents that raised bloody hell in the 80s and 90s as well but they were doing their children a disservice imo.

[Francois]

This is part and parcel of living in a very high-growth area. How can they keep accomodating an increasing number of new kids without building more schools and therefore moving some around?

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by huckdisc

I think the principle issue with most people who showed up at the school board meeting was

Spoiler

Property values.

Shhhh.....

[Usedtobe VaNC]

I was following the hearing on twitter (thru Orange County Politics) Sounded like there were some pretty angry parents, with matching t-shirts and everything. So, I don't think you can so "no one is complaining".

[poppydog]

Actually, what I said back in August was I hadn't heard anyone complaining then. I still haven't actually. I have read about the complaints from the folks in the Parkside neighborhood and nearby and I do see where they're coming from, but I haven't heard any complaints in person from the parents I know. I did say that I expected there would be some parents complaining to the school board since there always are, but by and large I think the school board is doing a good job of being transparent about the 4 different plans and what their aims are overall for redistricting. Our neighborhood may leave our current school, but nobody is up in arms about it. My kid loves Carrboro Elementary, but she's completely fine with going to Northside if that's what the board picks.

[CHTransplant]

The opposition being voiced by the Northside, Parkwood and Larkspur neighborhoods is very organized and coordinated. They have authored research papers and position statements, attended committee and Board meetings, held heavily attended planning meetings to discussed strategy around communications, speaking roles, etc., and circulated petitions with 90%+ signature rates.