School Attendance Zone Changes Concern Parents

As the Lexington One school district continues to grow with new students and new schools, the reconfiguring of school attendance zones has been a regular occurrence over the past several years. But that fact still doesn't make the prospect of the latest proposed zone changes any easier for parents and their children.

On Monday night, nearly 100 parents trekked to Pleasant Hill Middle School to learn how the addition of two new schools over the next couple of years will impact their lives and those of their children.

Meadow Glen Middle School, set to open in 2012, and River Bluff High School, set to open in 2013, will significantly alter the attendance lines of Lexington Middle School, Pleasant Hill Middle School and Lexington High School. 

The new proposed attendance zones are not written in stone. The Pleasant Hill meeting was just the first of three public-input meetings over the next week. Feedback from the meetings will help guide district officials as they finalize the new zones, which are scheduled for a school board vote on Oct. 18. 

Among the chief concerns of parents who talked with Patch: Transportation logistics, disparities in facilities between Pleasant Hill Middle and the older Lexington Middle School, and separation from friends and classmates.

For many parents at Monday's meeting, such as James Spangler, of Lexington, the proposed new zones are regrettable. But while he doesn't like the proposed changes, he admitted they are probably the best the district can do. 

"Unfortunately, when you look at it logically, I don't know that there is a lot of things they could do different," Spangler said. "I think what they've done, unfortunately, is about as good as it gets. And I hate that, trust me. But I don't know if we can do anything any different."

See the proposed school attendance zones attached to this story.

For a breakdown on the proposed changes, click here.

A measured approach

District officials said they drew the proposed new lines using the county's geographic information system. That system uses student enrollment and demographic information maintained in the district's student information system.

"Then, we looked at each school," according to a district handout to parents. "For instance, how many students does each school currently have and how many students will Meadow Glenn Middle or River Bluff High be able to hold? Which neighborhoods are the students coming from? What do the current traffic patterns and bus routes to and from  school look like? How many new homes are being built in the area now and where are they? How many sites are planned for future homes and where are they?"

In determining the new lines, district officials said they looked at several things, such as: The desire not to divide neighborhoods or subdivisions any more than necessary; the need to consider student demographics and diversity; the capacity of all affected schools; the best transportation patterns for safety and efficiency; and, the availability of roads that can provide easy access in and out of school.

One parent who declined to give her name said she has a child in elementary school and a child in middle school. With the new lines and the change of schools it would entail, she said, "there's the chance they will never be with their peers. Growing up is enough of a trying time, and now you're splitting them up."

For Tracie and Rodney Glisson, of Lexington, the issues are logistics and school quality. The couple, who want nothing to do with bussing, say the new lines would create a huge hassle transporting their children to school.

"Logistically, we're having to take the middle school child across town to Lexington Middle, and then come back and take the second child to Lexington High School," said Rodney Glisson. "Whereas the best for us logistically would be take the child to Lexington High School and then take the other child just right up the road to Pleasant Hill Middle School. That's the main concern." And once their oldest child is old enough to drive his sibling to school, they fear for him battling early morning town traffic. 

The Glissons also noted they just prefer their youngest child go to Pleasant Hill Middle versus Lexington Middle School. Pleasant Hill is newer and has better facilities, they said, and added that they don't believe Lexington Middle measures up as well academically.

Sandy Moore, of Lexington, says her family moved specifically so her child could attend Pleasant Hill Middle. With the proposed lines, she would be safe. But she is so close that any change could put her child potentially in Lexington Middle. "If the line moves a centimeter, we're in a different school. We're barely safe at the moment," she said.

And like the Glissons, she wouldn't want to make the morning commute to the school if the line shifts against her. 

"Geographically, it just wouldn't make as much sense for our family," she said. "And we did move here three years ago specifically for Pleasant Hill Middle School. We wanted our kids to be at Pleasant Hill and Lexington High. I had taught at Lexington High, so I knew it was a good school. (All the schools) are good, but those were the decisions we made when we moved within the district."

Ann Moore, also of Lexington, would be rezoned under the new lines and said she would have to take one child to Pleasant Hill Elementary, then take another downtown to Lexington Middle, then backtrack and drive all the way to Gilbert Middle School where she teaches.

"That's just a lot of running around," she said.

The next two public-input meetings will take place:

• Wednesday, Oct. 5, in Lexington High School’s cafeteria
• Monday, Oct. 10, in Lexington Middle School’s theater 

Each meeting will begin with a formal presentation at 6 p.m. District staff will stay until 7:30 p.m. to answer any questions and note any concerns, either in person or in writing.