Why so often?
Gwinnett County has changed its school boundary lines far more frequently than other school districts in recent years; this will be its eighth redistricting since 2005. Gwinnett officials say they have to redistrict any time the district opens new schools. The vast majority of these redistricting initiatives were done to set attendance zones for new schools opening the next year.
About two dozen Gwinnett County parents, and a student, asked school district leaders Thursday evening to reconsider a plan that would move up to 7,000 students to different schools by the start of the next school year.
More than 125 people came to the school district’s headquarters for a public hearing on Gwinnett’s redistricting plan. School district administrators redrew the boundary lines for 31 schools to prepare for the opening of two new schools in August.
School district officials made some slight changes to the boundary lines that they presented at the start of the meeting. Several parents came ready with their own suggestions for changes that would keep their children in their current schools.
Brandon Hart, whose three sons would be transferred from Sugar Hill Elementary School to Sycamore Elementary School, was one of a half-dozen parents in that area who spoke against the plans. Hart and others are concerned about the slightly longer bus ride to Sycamore, which they say worry is more dangerous because of the high traffic on Ga. 20. Hart’s wife volunteers at Sugar Hill Elementary and walks to the school.
“It was like a fairy tale,” Hart said of his family’s current situation. “It seems like it’s coming to an end, but we don’t want that to happen.”
School board members are scheduled to vote on the plans on Jan. 21. If they are approved, about 4 percent of Gwinnett students will be in new or different schools in August.
The new schools are being built to accommodate the ongoing population growth in Gwinnett, the state’s largest school district. Gwinnett, which has about 175,000 students, typically adds about 3,000 students a year.
Last year, Gwinnett adopted some changes to redistricting plans that were suggested by residents. District leaders say it’s tough to find reasonably priced, vacant land in an increasingly dense county.
Some residents, community leaders and even state lawmakers have been critical of how Gwinnett plans for its future growth. Gwinnett uses about 525 trailers for classroom space. Gwinnett has undergone eight redistricting efforts since 2005, more than any of the metro district's largest school districts.
Gwinnett officials say they try to project five years ahead to determine where to build new schools, but prognostications are tricky.
“The lines do need to be drawn somewhere … we will look at the impact and make the best possible decisions,” said board member Carole Boyce.
One speaker argued board member Dr. Robert McClure should recuse himself because he owns about 27 acres in Lilburn that county commissioners have approved to be turned into a subdivision. Many residents are worried about the impact the planned subdivision will have on area schools, which are part of the redistricting plans. McClure, who has said he does not believe there is a conflict-of-interest on his part, did not respond during the meeting to the criticism.
Niki Wells, a seventh-grader at Jones Middle School, asked board members to not the change the boundary lines in her area. If they’re changed, she would have to attend Twin Rivers Middle School. She offered several solutions that would allow her to stay in her current school zone, where she believes the schools are better.
Wells is skeptical the school board will make any changes, but she felt it was important to speak out.
“The more people who speak out, the better chance of it being changed,” she said.
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