School Board Reviews Rezoning Plan

Because growth is a community’s responsibility, the School System did not try to address how to best manage the increase of student population without the community’s help. A little over one year ago, Chief Operations Officer Jim Sumrell invited a group of community representatives to take part in a project team’s work of identifying attendance boundaries for the school district’s future. Obviously, school rezoning is necessary when opening a new school – which will happen in August 2012 with Carmel Elementary. But this team looked at more than opening a new school. The members looked at being prepared for increasing populations in specific areas of the County. A university political science professor helped with data and statistics, the local expert on regional planning identified future housingsubdivisions, and parents representing different school zones shared their perspectives.

Through research and the input of school system specialists in academics, transportation, technology and mapping, a recommended plan has been conceived. The proposed zoning maps are available in the schools impacted, at Central Office and on the school system website. Feedback can be received from the community through an online survey located here, via email to feedback@cmcss.net, or at a public hearing, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6. All feedback will help guide the committee if any adjustments to the recommendation should be made prior to the School Board’s vote on the plan, Sept. 13. This plan would not take place until August 2012 and would provide allowances for eleventh and twelfth grade students to remain at their high school. Please share your thoughts through any of these venues.