UNIT 5 REDISTRICTING COMMUNITYFORUM

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WHY ARE YOU HERE?- Learn about the background, process, and timeline for redistricting

- Review options the district and committee have considered

- Participate in a survey to provide feedback on the options

The public will not be asked to provide input at a microphone. Public can have opportunity to voice input at school board meetings. Surveys are better method to collect data and make useful for process

WHY THE NEED TO REDISTRICT?

- Enrollment growth has created schools to be over-crowded- Benjamin and Cedar Ridge over-utilized

• Benjamin is currently operating around 120% of total capacity (713 kids in a 600 seat bldg)

• Cedar Ridge is currently operating near 100% of capacity (546 kids in a 550-600 seat bldg)

FOCUS OF REDISTRICTING• Keep changes at a minimum• Elementary school boundaries• Consider placement of the ELL program• Consider placement of Early Childhood

Education• Consider placement of Special Education

programs• Open attendance areas

COMMITTEE

• Board Members• District Administrators• Principals• Teachers• Parents

THE PROCESS

Boundary Committee Formation

Redistricting Options Development

Data Collection

Public Forum

Redistricting Committee Recommendations

Final Presentation to Board of Education

Preliminary Data Collection

Survey and Results

We are here

WHO ARE WE WORKING WITHCropper GIS Consulting, LLC

Cropper GIS works with K-12 school districts to:• develop redistricting plans,• facilitate community engagement,• research, map and write demographic studies,• prepare long-range facility master plans,• author site feasibility studies,• conduct & publish housing impact and yield factor studies, and• provide GIS implementation & training.

ENROLLMENT2007-2008 – 12,4602008-2009 – 12,689 2009-2010 – 12,918 2010-2011 – 13,0562011-2012 – 13,2552012-2013 – 13,616

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

In 2008, the School Board initiated a community-based attendance boundary study to meet five redistricting

guiding principles.

The plan is to make decisions following these same guiding principles, to the best of our ability, but

understanding that with the focus on elementary, these do not all apply.

Principle 1Balanced Enrollment• Jr. Highs and High Schools will establish balanced enrollment by ensuring

that their feeder schools have varied demographics. • The enrollment balance in Elementary schools will be limited by the

commitment to neighborhood schools. • Special Education needs and pathways will be considered.

Principle 2Neighborhood Schools• Move as few students as possible, yet acknowledge change may touch

every school, especially at the Elementary School level.• Consider a child’s ability to walk to school when assigning attendance

boundaries. • Assign a child to the nearest school, where possible.

Principle 3Minimize costs/reasonable travel• Minimize bus costs by using major roads as attendance boundaries where

possible • Balance busing travel times and costs • Minimizing the use of portable classrooms

Principle 4Attendance boundaries will recognize future growth • Grade level sections will continue to vary according to the educational

needs of the classroom. • Buildings in high growth areas will have classrooms available to allow for

increasing attendance. • Balance free and reduced lunch population, where possible.• Music and Art classrooms will be designated, where possible.

Principle 5Stability in attendance areas • The District will determine Special Education placement by considering

the value of having a specified facility and by clearly defining pathways for each special education student.

• Acknowledge that changes made during this redistricting effort will not be permanent; the district will likely make more changes in 3-5 years.

• Consider creating a transition plan or building for those students in fourth and fifth, who will be moved to a new grade school in 2010 then a new middle school in 2012.

• Avoid special arrangements for individual students or “grandfathering”. • Eliminate all current open attendance areas but maintain an open

attendance policy for future use in growth areas.• Allow for future alternative educational opportunities including the

establishment of Attendance Centers and Charter Schools.

ELEMENTARY MAP

TIMELINEDecember 5 - 6-8 p.m. - Committee Meeting

January 10 - 6-8 p.m. - Committee Meeting

January 29 - 6-8 p.m. - Committee Meeting

Feb. 28 - 6 p.m. - Community Forum

March 5 - Surveys due

March 6 - Committee Meeting (if needed)

Brought to the board March 13 for consideration

POINTS ABOUT CURRENT PROCESS

-If growth continues at the same pace, there will be a need to add more elementary space on the east side of the district.- The district would likely add more space (i.e. new construction) in next 3 years.- Because of this, any adjustments to boundaries until then should be minimal to avoid moving kids more than necessary.

Notes about Options- Cedar Ridge and Benjamin Zones are the only 2 zones potentially affected in the current process- If growth continues at the same pace, there will be a need to add more elementary space on the east side of the district.- The district would likely add more space (i.e. new construction) in next 3 years.- Because of this, any adjustments to boundaries until then should be minimal to avoid moving kids more than necessary.- Although movement of programs was considered, it will create too much impact for a short-term plan.

- Therefore, no programs are moved in Options 1 or 2.

Notes about Option 1-Brigham and Cedar share the same attendance boundary- Kindergarten through 1st grade students living in the zone attend Brigham- 2nd through 5th grade students living in the zone attend Cedar Ridge.- The open attendance area near the Empire Rd. and Towanda Barnes Rd. is enlarged to include homes up to (not including) Pamela Rd.- Students in this open attendance area will not be able to enroll at Benjamin ES. School options for this area include Hoose, Glenn, Brigham/Cedar, or Northpoint

Notes about Option 1- Opening Brigham (250 seats) as an elementary school adds needed space to the Cedar Ridge area as well as providing relief to Benjamin through open attendance.- Enlarging the open attendance area at Towanda Barnes and Empire Roads provides necessary relief to Benjamin (estimated 190 students from Benjamin)

Notes about Option 2- Brigham has its own attendance boundary and is a K-5 school- Cedar Ridge has its own attendance boundary and is a K-5 school-The open attendance area near the Empire Rd. and Towanda Barnes Rd. is enlarged to include homes up to (not including) Pamela Rd.- Students in this open attendance area will not be able to enroll at Benjamin ES. School options for this area include Hoose, Glenn, Brigham/Cedar, or Northpoint

Notes about Option 2- Opening Brigham (250 seats) as an elementary school adds needed space to the Cedar Ridge area as well as providing relief to Benjamin through open attendance.- Enlarging the open attendance area at Towanda Barnes and Empire Roads provides necessary relief to Benjamin (estimated 190 students from Benjamin)

Notes about Maps- Background colors reflect the option zones.

- Option 1 has the same zones with the exception of enlarging the open attendance area

- Option 2 creates a zone for Brigham, and only takes area from Cedar Ridge.

- Black/White outlines reflect the current attendance zone lines- Notes on the plots describe the changes that are made to the current zones.- Committee members and Unit 5 staff will be around the maps to help answer any questions you may have.

Now it is time to review the maps

- Please visit the Unit 5 website to complete your survey.- Surveys are due March 5th.- If you have any questions, you can email Dayna Brown at brownda@unit5.org or you can call at (309) 454-2850.- Thank you for your time and input!