PROPOSED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONES FOR 2011-2012
Click here to review document under consideration by the Newton County Board of Education.
WHAT: Public meetings for parents and members of the community on a proposed rezoning of Newton County elementary schools
WHEN: 6 p.m. Nov. 30, Eastside High School, also 6 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Alcovy High School, in the school auditoriums
BOARD MEETING: The school board is scheduled to discuss rezoning issues at its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the board office. They are scheduled to approve the zones at their combined work session/monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14
Newton County elementary schools are set to be rezoned before the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year to accommodate the new elementary school and eliminate overcrowding at existing schools.
A proposed zoning map was presented Tuesday to education board members. The map shows that many of the students will attend a new school next year.
The school system had several goals in rezoning: Drawing lines for the new elementary school on Airport Road, eliminate overcrowding, and to align the schools with the system's five-year facilities plan. Rezoning also will allow the school system to eliminate modular classrooms at the elementary level and maintain a school in the city limits.
The proposal also would allow the school system to redirect local Special Local Option Sales Tax funds and delay the need to build additions to existing schools.
However, the plan will entail moving students and some faculty and staff members. The plan also calls for Ficquett Elementary becoming a theme school while Fairview becomes a traditional elementary school.
Ficquett was scheduled to be phased-out in the facilities plan, but according to the proposal, moving the theme school into Ficquett would allow for growth into the kindergarten through eighth grade theme school model, which was approved in the facilities plan. The system's goal is to convert the Eastside High School building into the K-8 theme school by 2016.
Ficquett's students will be split. Approximately 40 percent will go to the new elementary school on Airport Road, 35 percent to East Newton, 18 percent to Middle Ridge and 7 percent to Heard-Mixon. All Palmer-Stone students will attend the new elementary school.
The new school has a capacity of 1,500 students, but the proposal has its enrollment targeted at 1,264, leaving room for growth. Fairview has a capacity for 600 students and a proposed enrollment of 569 and Live Oak, which now has 1,234 students and a building capacity for 1,000, will have 925 students.
Mansfield Elementary has a capacity for 500 students and currently holds 487, which is the same proposed number for next year. Enrollment also will remain unchanged at Oak Hill, which has a capacity for 800 and currently has 761 students.
Rocky Plains was built for 800 students but currently has 1,018. The rezoning would decrease that to 767 students next year.
