CCSD to Unveil 3 School Redistricting Plans Soon

Smyrna-Vinings and South Cobb parents will soon be able to choose between three options

The redistricting process continues as the district prepares to open three replacement elementary schools­, Mableton and Clarkdale elementary schools to open in fall 2012 and a Smyrna elementary school to be completed a year later. Ultimately, the redistricting plan will affect 27 elementary schools and will most likely include school closings.

Doug Shepard, chief SPLOST administrative officer for the Cobb County School District, said the maps are undergoing “last-minute refinements,” and will be likely be unveiled within the next two weeks.

Over the summer, various people–including school board members David Morgan, Tim Stultz, Alison Bartlett and area superintendents– have contributed to the three plans using the criteria outlined in the initial public forum,

Redistricting criteria include efficient and effective school sizes, consideration of home-to-school travel time and safety, and the efficiency of feeder patterns. One of the objectives is to eliminate elementary schools that feed into differing middle schools.

The three plans, which were primarily designed by CCSD Planning Department Director Dennis Campbell, will be available online in the coming weeks to allow time for parents to see them before the next public forum is held.

Shepard said district officials continue to seek feedback from parents throughout the entire redistricting process.

Parents can offer their comments on the Cobb Schools redistricting site, where district officials have set up a public commenting wall, similar to a Facebook wall.

Some of the recent comments include:

Parent | Nickajack

I understand that redistricting for the elementary school is necessary. However, I ask that you keep the feeder schools the same. If you redistrict a child away from Nickajack, at least keep them at King Springs or Teasley since the middle school and high school feeder pattern is the same. I think it would make the transition easier on everyone since there is a familiarity with the feeder schools. This goes for anyone in the district. Completely changing feeder patterns will cause more of an uproar than anything. Please take this into consideration!!!

Tracee | Teasley

As an active parent of the Teasley Elementary School, I oppose the redistricting of the T31, T23, T6, T15A, and T12 neighborhoods. As a resident of these areas, the safest traffic pattern is to make a right on Atlanta Road as oppose to a left for the public school transportation. In which majority of our students use that is strongly encourage by you to aid in the flow of traffic at the school and to ensure the students are on time each day. Not to mention, Teasley is fortunate to have an abundance of parent volunteers from these neighborhoods that support the school in the classroom, on the PTA and the Foundation boards, and various areas of the school throughout the year. The relationship is personal between these areas and the school because it is a sense of responsibility that is expected of the parents of these neighborhoods as well as our neighbors who support our children at Teasley. Teasley is a unique school that deserves parents that support the mission of the school and are willing to work to maintain the high standards that it has expected of the teachers, staff and students. I am confident that if the areas are rezoned to the new school. It will hurt Teasley, the Smyrna community and the new school. The students of this area will find alternative options for school. Parents will not be vested financially in this area and will begin to look for alternative housing options that provide school districts like Teasley. Instead of rezoning our neighborhoods, please consider the traffic patterns for our students in these neighborhoods. But, most of all please consider the parent volunteers and the relationship of the parents in these neighborhoods. We want to send our children to public schools to build relationships in our community and to help Smyrna to continue to flourish, this is evident at Teasley. Thank you for allowing us to voice our opinion.

Renee | Teasley

I don't think the zoning in Smyrna School District makes any since. My daughter has been at Teasley for two years and we love it. Unfortunaley I had to move to a new location which is one mile around the corner from where I was staying and now she has to go to Nickajack which I think is ridiculous. I was very disappointed about this but as of right now it can't be helped. I think the apartments on Cumberland Blvd. should be going to Teasley as they are right around the corner.

Christine | Argyle

I am very excited about the new school and welcome a redistricting. As a parent in the Argyle school district I am very concerned about my child starting school there in the next few years. I have heard nothing but horror stories about Argyle in its present state. First off it is very over crowded: 300+ over capacity for a total of 600+ students according to the Estimated Over/Under Cap for 2013. I am a homeowner in A30 and speaking with my neighbors, most are doing all they can to keep their children from attending Argyle school in its current state because our neighborhood does not really mesh with the current zoning. My neighbors are sending their children to private school (if they can afford it in this economy) renting out, or even foreclosing on their homes so they can get in another zone. There are, at the very least, 20 babies and toddlers in my neighborhood that will be school age in the next 1-5 years. I would really like to see more homes grouped together in the new school zoning. Also morning traffic heading to Argyle is horrible for anyone past Campbell Rd heading east on Spring Rd toward the interstate in the mornings. On a normal school day traffic can be backed up past the Village Pkwy moving at a snails pace. You can also see this is not the case when school is out for summer, traffic on Spring moves much smoother. I feel that by having all the communities west of Campbell Rd heading toward Atlanta Rd zoned in a school that would allow them to drive west on Spring would help very much with both the school traffic and general morning commute for everyone. I mean if you look at the high concentration of elementary school age children on Campbell and east of, you easily have enough to fill Argyle. I also want to say I really appreciate the board providing this wall to allow community feedback in the decision of the redistricting. I have lived in Cobb County my whole life and attended Cobb schools. It is really nice to be presented the opportunity to have my voice easily heard. Thanks!

Patch reporter Sydney Busby contributed to this report.