Schools

Fulton School System Creates Redistricting Maps for New Bethany Bend School

The Alpharetta-Milton community gets its first look at attendance zone map alternatives on Wednesday.

Parents, students and teachers will get a first look at alternative maps proposed for redistricting for the new high school being built on Bethany Bend in Milton Wednesday, March 16. They'll also get a chance to critique the different proposals.

The new high school is being built to relieve overcrowding at existing schools. To accomplish this, existing attendance zones at other North Fulton high schools will be modified to create the new school's attendance zone.

The redistricting process enters its second round with a public meeting at from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesday.

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some criticism of the process has been leveled at the school system. Roswell Mayor Jere Wood in particular has found fault with the process.

The school system's Operational Planning department is developing at least three alternative maps based on criteria set by the school. No map was developed before the first meeting that was held on Feb. 23, said Yngrid Huff, executive director of the department. She and her staff were using community input from participants in the first meeting, an online forum that was set up after the meeting and other comments sent to them, if those suggestions fit in the specific criteria set by the school board as required and limited by judicial rulings.

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the February meeting, local residents were tasked with providing their own knowledge of neighborhoods and traffic patterns to help staff create maps.

Geographic proximity, capacity and projected enrollment are the primary criteria. Secondary criteria include traffic patterns, frequency of neighborhood rezonings, school feeder alignment and balancing of special programs (i.e., TAG, ESOL, Special Needs)

The plan for Wednesday's meeting is as follows:

  • Staff will present alternative proposals for new attendance zones.
  • Community members will offer comment on strengths and weaknesses of each plan in facilitated small-group discussions.
  • Prior to the next community forum, staff will condense the number of attendance zone alternatives based on public input.

 Huff warned parents at the first meeting to stay involved even after the second round, as the maps finally proposed to the school board may not match any of the alternatives seen on Wednesday. Staff will take into account more input from parents, and that may call attention to issues not even recognized during the second meeting.

The third and final round of public participation will be April 13 back at Alpharetta High. Community members once again will review and provide input on the revised attendance zone draft plans in small-group discussions. From that input staff will develop a final recommendation for the school board to consider.

The redistricting of attendance zones will go into effect in August 2012 with the opening of the new school.


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