Redistricting Plan Approved By Council Rock School Board

NEWTOWN, PA — The Council Rock School Board has approved a redistricting plan that will be implemented for the 2019-2020 school year. The redistricting plan, which is aimed to better balance enrollment in the north and south regions of the district, was approved by a 7 - 2 vote during a meeting Thursday.

The redistricting plan, which can be found in its entirety here, impacts 702 elementary students and amends high school feeder patterns for some communities within the district.

The redistricting process was the topic of numerous meetings and forums over the past year. During those meeting and forums, parents and residents offered impassioned pleas for amendments or reconsiderations to the plan, which has evolved over time.

In the end, the approved plan received mixed reviews from both the community and the board.

"I don't believe the current plan achieves the district's goals," said Kristin Marcell, a school board member representing Wrightstown, which is heavily impacted by the redistricting.

Board Vice President Mark Byelich, who supported the plan, said he felt all options and alternatives had been explored. "I do believe that this map is the best that it can be in the situation we are at today," he said.

Byelich acknowledged the abundance of emails and calls board members have fielded during the lengthy redistricting process. "Your concerns have been heard," he said, adding "not everybody is going to be happy."

Superintendent Robert Fraser, in comments at the start of the presentation, recognized that it has been a difficult process and that not everyone will be pleased with the outcome.

"Unfortunately there's no such thing as a perfect redistricting plan," Fraser said. However, he noted, "We are one Council Rock and I ask that we all exemplify this now."

Now the most important part is the future implementation of the plan, and ensuring a successful transition, said Board President Andy Block.

Administrators, during the presentation Thursday, pledged the transition for students will be smooth, and will include communications from school leaders to impacted families, as well as social events and initiatives to meld families into their new schools. Some of those social initiatives will include student and family tours, open houses, and a summer meet and greet with principals and staff, according to administrators.

In the early days of the 2019-20 school year, new students will be welcomed with a school-wide celebration, will be paired with lunch buddies, and provided with other opportunities that could help ease the transition for them, according to district officials.

In addition to families receiving letters from the school where students will be transitioned, all transition materials will be on the website.

The redistricting committee began meeting in Sept. 2017. A second demographer was hired in May 2018, and the committee reconvened to finalize the plan, which was presented during a forum in October.

According to Byelich, the objective is for another elementary level redistricting to not be under consideration for seven years, as recommended by the administration.

"This has been just a tremendously difficult process for everyone," said Fraser.