Council Rock approves Richboro Middle redistricting

Beginning with the 8^th grade class of the 2011-2012 school year, students at Richboro Middle School will no longer have the decision of which high school to attend.

The school board voted at its meeting Thursday night to redistrict RMS so that only students who have siblings presently attending Council Rock North, in Newtown Township, will have the choice to attend that school. Otherwise, all students will attend Council Rock South, in Northampton Township.

“The numbers work at this point and time,” Superintendent Mark Klein said. “It can never be any better than that.”

The decision comes after much deliberation during the past two years. In 2009, the board revised the choice process so that students could have transportation to both schools, no matter where they lived. Klein held that students who choose to attend North will still have transportation provided for them.

Many parents and community members have wanted the choice program to end for some time, citing social and academic reasons. Klein had held off on making the decision because he said he was worried about enrollment numbers growing at South to a point that the building couldn’t sustain.

Several board members also spoke about their dislike of the program at a board meeting in January.

Board member Patty Sexton, who voted against the motion to extend choice for another year, said she disagreed with the program. She said she wanted to see Richboro Middle School students redistricted as soon as possible. 

"If it were up to me, I’d put an end to this right now. No more little children should have to worry about it. We are the adults, it is our responsibility to make these decisions," Sexton said.

Board member Jerold Grupp also voted against the motion. “I am not a big proponent of choice. No matter what the kid does to make the choice, they make the wrong choice,” Grupp said.

After the board’s decision to pass the motion to redistrict, many parents in the audience were visibly relieved and board members reflected that emotion as well.

The next board meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17 in the Chancellor Center, 30 N. Chancellor St., Newtown, Pa.