Redistricting Feedback

REDISTRICTING OVERVIEW:
In preparation for the opening of Hopewell Elementary and Walden Middle School for the 2019-2020 school year, and in order to balance our very different high school enrollments, we will be redistricting all of our attendance boundaries, from elementary through high school.

Redistricting will help us continue to be one of the best districts around by protecting our low class sizes and making sure we can balance our resources.

Redistricting info on district website

REDISTRICTING DECISION:
At its Thursday, Dec. 13 meeting, the Park Hill Board of Education voted to approve a recommendation for redistricting our school attendance area boundaries. The new boundaries will take effect with the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

The scenario came from the redistricting committee, which started meeting in August to develop a recommendation to the Board. The committee came up with dozens of different ideas and listened to thousands of comments from the public, both online and in person. Using that feedback, the committee chose a final recommendation and created a list of adjustments for staff to consider. District administrators made as many of those changes as possible while still meeting the Board’s criteria.

Board-Approved Scenario for Redistricted Boundaries

The Board also approved the staff recommendation for grandfathering, allowing some students to remain at their current schools:

• The Board will allow families of students who are currently in fourth, ninth, 10th and 11th grades to choose to remain at their current school.
• Transportation will be the responsibility of the family.
• Grandfathering will not apply to these students' siblings.
• High-school families will need to make a decision to remain at the school before February 1, 2019 and elementary families will need to decide by March 1, 2019.
• Students must meet district residency and attendance requirements.

Responding to concerns from some families about making sure students who have greater needs receive the resources they need, Superintendent Dr. Jeanette Cowherd said, “Our district and school leaders have been working to address these issues. To ensure that we are responsive to our community, I will be working with my administrative team to take an even deeper look at the equitable balance of resources across our schools, with the goal of ensuring that we meet the academic and behavioral needs of all students at all of our schools.”