Lexington One Approves New School Attendance Zones

The Lexington One Board of Trustees on Tuesday night approved new school attendance zones to accommodate the construction of two new schools set to open over the next couple of years.

The attendance zones for the new Meadow Glen Middle and River Bluff High schools will alter the attendance lines of Lexington Middle School, Pleasant Hill Middle School and Lexington High School. 

View the proposed attendance zone maps here and here.

The as they were originally proposed last month. The district had held community meetings over the past couple of weeks to gather comment. And while about such things as transportation logistics, disparities in facilities, and separation from friends and classmates, the consensus was that the originally proposed lines remain the best available option and make the most sense.

"Unfortunately, when you look at it logically, I don't know that there is a lot of things they could do different," parent James Spangler of Lexington told Patch earlier this month. "I think what they've done … is about as good as it gets."

School lines have been redrawn numerous times over the past several years, but board chairman Cynthia Smith said, "This is probably the smoothest redraw we've ever done."

The new schools will help ease the explosive growth and crowding in the district's schools. For example, Lexington High School, one of the largest in the state, currently has 3,120 students. That population will be reduced to 1,741 once River Bluff High opens in 2013.

In its unanimous vote, the board also approved a grandfathering clause that will allow current seventh-graders and 10th-graders stay at their current schools, so long as they provide for their own transportation.

Under the middle school realignment, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Rocky Creek Elementary and part of Lake Murray Elementary schools would feed to Pleasant Hill Middle School. 

Lexington Elementary, New Providence Elementary and part of Lake Murray Elementary School would feed to Lexington Middle School. 

Midway Elementary, Meadow Glen Elementary and part of the Oak Grove Elementary currently attending Lexington Middle School would feed to Meadow Glen Middle School. The part of Oak Grove Elementary currently feeding to White Knoll Middle School would continue to feed to White Knoll Middle School. 

Meantime, in the high school realignment, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Rocky Creek Elementary, Lake Murray Elementary School and part of New Providence Elementary would feed Lexington High School. 

The other part of New Providence Elementary, Midway Elementary, Meadow Glen Elementary and the part of Oak Grove Elementary currently feeding to Lexington Middle School would feed to River Bluff High School. The part of Oak Grove Elementary currently feeding to White Knoll High School would continue to feed to White Knoll High School.   

Meadow Glen Middle School, set to open in 2012, is located at 510 Ginny Lane. It will have classroom space for 1,000 students and will open in the fall of 2012. Bill Coon will serve as principal.

River Bluff High School, set to open in 2013, is under construction on Corley Mill Road. The district's newest high school will have classroom space for 2,000 students, a competition gymnasium and mini-gymnasium, auditorium and stadium. Luke Clamp will be principal.

"I've probably been through 12 or 13 rezonings already," said board member Bert Dooley, Jr., who added that this rezoning likely won't be the last in the fast-growing district. "Unless your back porch touches school property, you're likely to be rezoned at some point."

In other action, the board unanimously approved a contract extension and raise for Superintendent Karen Woodward.