News | Peachtree City

Parents plead for changes in district lines

Thu, 12/01/2005 - 4:18pm
By: John Munford

District line changes
More than 150 people piled into Booth Middle School’s gym Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the Fayette County Board of Education about new elementary school attendance zones that are designed to relieve overcrowding at three elementary schools.

By far the biggest group at the hearing was a group from Wilshire Estates in Peachtree City.

The School Rezoning Committee’s proposal moves 107 students from Wilshire Estates that are currently attending Peeples Elementary to Braelinn Elementary. The move inflamed the passions of the parents who attended the meeting with signs and maps.

“Four years ago, you sent us from Braelinn to Peeples. Why are we being moved again?” questioned Wilshire Estates Homeowner Association President Will Soper. “We were promised that we would stay at Peeples.”

Soper added that some residents of Wilshire Estates could look out their backyard and see Peeples Elementary and it just didn’t make sense to move the students again.

Soper’s comments drew thunderous applause and were echoed by some of his neighbors.

“Buses will be running four times farther. Our kids are asking us why we’re the target,” said Greg Carroll.

Pam Saylor told the board that she was “completely shocked when she heard the news and can't understand the logic of moving the children again.”

But Wilshire Estates residents were not the only outraged parents.

Laura Lyn Preble, who lives in Cobblestone Creek, said she looks directly at Peachtree City Elementary from her backyard and is just “seems silly” to move kids in her area from there to Kedron.

Lorinda Vinson, who lives in the northern part of the county in McClendon Estates said she moved to the area because of the good schools and loves having her first-grader nearby at Burch, and how moving the student to North Fayette Elementary would cause havoc in her schedule.

The school proposals call for moving 70 students from Burch to Cleveland Elementary and North Fayette, 147 students from Peachtree City Elementary to Kedron Elementary and 107 students from Peeples to Braelinn Elementary. The total number of students moved is 324 and is expected to be voted on by the Fayette County School Board Dec. 19.

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School districts should make sense
Submitted by PTCMomma on Mon, 12/05/2005 - 4:02pm.

FCBOE:
We all understand that the lines need to change. Our school populations need to be balanced, and make as much sense as possible. Things to consider: location of neighborhood to school, economic balances, racial balances. And have you moved these same kids before? No neighborhood should be switched more than once while the same kids are still in that level of schooling. Example: Wilshire Estates. Move a neighborhood closer to Braelinn that wasn't moved the last time. Like Timberlake or Highgrove. FYI: I don't live in any of the above so this is unbiased.
Mom to 3, plus a few strays

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Racial Balance?
nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Mon, 12/05/2005 - 4:20pm.

In order to get "racial balance," you are going to have to bus a lot of white kids to the northern part of the county or vice-versa. What's "balance?" Where the school is composed of students who reflect the racial makeup of the area the school is located in, which is what it is now? Or is it a quota of percents?

I don't see where race is a factor in how school lines should be drawn.

NUK


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school diversity
Submitted by PTCMomma on Mon, 12/05/2005 - 10:42pm.

I'd hardly advocate major bussing across the county. When things can be balanced in a sensible way, they should. For example, put Balmoral in Braelinn, leave Harmony at Oak Grove. A little more racial balance for 2 schools in the same geographic area. Of course, Oak Grove is not overcrowded, and I'm not sure who would make the most sense to move in to Oak Grove to replace Balmoral. There isn't an easy answer to any of this. I just know my child's school has very little diversity, while a school about a mile away has a lot of diversity (and not just black/white).

Mom to 3, plus a few strays

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I agree with splitting Harmony/Balmoral
nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Tue, 12/06/2005 - 9:26am.

Depending on occupancy, Oak Grove can get overcrowded pretty quickly and it's trailer-time behind the school. I know what you are talking about now in regards to the difference in two schools just a short distance from each other. It's definitely an issue that needs looking into when re-drawing districts.

NUK


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