By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
After more than a month of deliberation and revisions, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education last week voted 5-1 to approve a redistricting plan that will move nearly 500 students to a new elementary school when it opens in the fall of 2008.
Immediately following the decision, the board also voted 5-1 to create a subcommittee to review the redistricting process, citing difficulties with this year’s and past redistricting efforts.
Board member Liz Carter voted against the redistricting plan. Board member Mike Kelley, who served on the redistricting committee, was absent.
Under the plan, labeled plan 9D, 1,078 elementary school students will move to different schools, including 474 to the new school, which will be located at the corner of Dromoland Road and Eubanks Road.
The plan was revised twice to address concerns of socio-economic balance across the district as well as other issues raised by the public.
Carter said she opposed the redistricting plan because of potential overcrowding at Carrboro Elementary School, with both the dual-language and First School programs located there.
The subcommittee that will review the redistricting process will examine the accuracy of the number of students in each segment, socio-economic status across the district and student transfers. Board member Lisa Stuckey voted against the resolution and said she generally opposes motions put before the board quickly without time for consideration.
Board chair Jamezetta Bedford criticized the redistricting process and said she would like to examine the numbers of children attending each school more closely. She also emphasized looking at socio-economic status.
“Has [socio-economic status] been updated since 1993? I don’t think so,†she said, adding that she felt the numbers the district uses “don’t jive with what the neighbors count.â€
Bedford said she would also like to look at the transfer application process. In the district, students can apply to transfer to other schools from the school to which they are assigned.
Bedford questioned the fairness of transferring, citing a tendency for wealthier kids to apply to transfer to schools other than the school to which they were assigned.
“Is that equity?†she said. “If you think your neighborhood school is crap, we need to know about it.â€
Segments moved under the approved redistricting plan include:
- Dairyland Road area, Crescent Ridge, Spring Vista, Union Grove Church Road, the west side of Old N.C. 86, Hickory Forest, Oxbow Crossing, Morris Grove Heights, Old N.C. 86 from Britton Drive to Hickory Forest, and Eubanks Road from Rogers Road to Old N.C. 86, from McDougle to the new school;
- Rollingwood subdivision, Crestwood Mobile Home Park, Fairoaks duplexes and the neighborhoods around Bethel Hickory Grove Church Road, from McDougle to the new school;
- Old Greensboro Highway from Jones Ferry Road to Sesame Road, Sturbridge, Salem Lane, Phil’s Creek and Johnson’s Mobile Home Park, from Frank Porter Graham to McDougle;
- Sesame Road and Pineview Estates, from Frank Porter Graham to McDougle;
- Bowden Road area, McLennan’s farm, Quailview and Winningham, from Frank Porter Graham to Carrboro;
- Jones Ferry Road from Damascus Church Road to Bingham Township line, Nine Gates, Mel Oaks and Carolina Forest, from Frank Porter Graham to Carrboro;
- Jones Ferry Road from Old Fayetteville Road to Old School Road, Moon Ridge and Hairston Road, from Frank Porter Graham to McDougle;
- Hogan Farms, including the east side of Old N.C. 86 from Dairyland Road to Britton Drive, Drew Lane and Homestead Mobile Home Park, from Carrboro to the new school;
- Tally Ho Trail area, from Seawell to the new school;
- Rogers Road area, Meadow Run, Eubanks Road from Rogers Road to the railroad tracks, Homestead Road from Strafford Drive east to railroad tracks, Billabong Lane and Piney Mt. Mobile Home Park, from Seawell to the new school;
- Hilltop Mobile Home Park and N.C. 86 from Eubanks Road north to the school district boundary, from Seawell to the new school;
- Berryhill, Sterlingbrook and Poplar Place Apartments, from Carrboro to McDougle;
- South Greensboro Street from Main Street to Rocky Brook Mobile Home Park, Maple Avenue, Old Pittsboro Road and Roberson Place, from Frank Porter Graham to Carrboro;
- Prince Street/Barnes Street area, from Frank Porter Graham to Carrboro;
- BPW Club Road, The Bluffs, Highland Hills and The Villages Apartments, from Scroggs to Frank Porter Graham;
- Stoneridge and the north side of Whitfield Road from N.C. 86 to Sunrise Road, from Ephesus to the new school;
- Sedgefield and the south side of Whitfield Road, from N.C. 86 to Sunrise Road, North Hills and Creekwood, from Ephesus to the new school;
- North side of Weaver Dairy Road from N.C. 86 to Sunrise Road, including Kensington Trace, Weatherstone, Essex and Lakeview Mobile Home Park, from Ephesus to the new school;
- Chandlers Green, from Rashkis to Ephesus;
- Silver Creek, from Rashkis to Ephesus;
- Chesley Phase I and II, from Rashkis to Ephesus;
- Glen Lennox area, including Glen Lennox Apartments, from Rashkis to Glenwood;
- Colonial Heights, from Seawell to Carrboro;
- Umstead Drive area from Wesley Drive to Estes Drive Extension, Bolinwood Apartments and Village West, from Glenwood to Seawell;
- Church Street area, West Rosemary Street from North Columbia Street to Mitchell Lane, Caldwell Street and McMasters Street, from Glenwood to Seawell;
- Broad Street, Fowler Street, Hill Street, Lloyd Street and Starlite Drive, from Carrboro to Rashkis;
- West Cameron Street area, Westwood, Cameron Glen and McCauley Street, from Glenwood to Carrboro;
- Woodcrest Drive, Ray Road and Smith Level Road from Damascus Church Road to Rock Haven Apartments, from Scroggs to Frank Porter Graham;
- The Reserve, from Scroggs to Frank Porter Graham;
- Beechridge, Bayberry Drive, Arboretum Drive, Poinsett Drive and Grey Bluff, from Scroggs to Frank Porter Graham;
- Hunters’ Ridge and Edgewood Drive area, from Scroggs to Frank Porter Graham;
- Old Fayetteville Road, including Autumn Woods Apartments and Ram’s Gate Apartments, from Carrboro to McDougle, and
- Royal Park Apartments, from Frank Porter Graham to McDougle.