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Follow-up parent/community input meetings. Elementary Rezoning. Introduction. Construction of a new elementary school underway on Thunderhead Road in Southwest Knox County School will open in August 2013 with a capacity of approximately 1,200 students
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Follow-up parent/community input meetings Elementary Rezoning
Introduction • Construction of a new elementary school underway on Thunderhead Road in Southwest Knox County • School will open in August 2013 with a capacity of approximately 1,200 students • The school is intended to accommodate recent and future population growth in west Knox County • The school will help relieve crowding at other schools in west Knox County • The Board of Education must create a zone for the new school which will require some re-zoning from existing school
Parent/Community Feedback • Four public meetings, feedback cards, email address • Parent/community concerns generally focused on: • Ensuring that schools that experienced re-zoning would quickly develop or revitalize a strong, productive school community • Alignment with elementary and middle school zones to the extent possible • Ensuring there was some level of “grandfathering” of upper grade level students and their siblings to their current elementary school • Ensuring there was a rational staffing process for the new school that would not inordinately impact any other school • General questions about the new school, its administration and staff, transportation and student safety.
Zone Planning Considerations • In addition to parent/community input, there are several other factors we must also consider as zones lines are developed: • Functional capacity of the affected schools • Population trends and projected enrollment • Ensuring adequate capacity for potential future enrollment growth • Time and distance factors for transportation • Natural and manmade boundaries that affect school access • Location of the new school facility
Elementary Rezoning Proposal Proposal potentially affects seven elementary schools: • A.L. Lotts Elementary School • Ball Camp Elementary School • Blue Grass Elementary School • Cedar Bluff Elementary School • Farragut Primary and Intermediate School • Hardin Valley Elementary School • New school in southwest sector of Knox County
Elementary Rezoning Proposal Bottom Line: The elementary re-zoning proposal is an attempt to provide the School Board with a rational, common sense plan for elementary enrollment zones in the western section of Knox County. The development of this plan benefitted greatly from parental and community input, and we are open to possible refinements based on additional feedback. Our goal in this elementary re-zoning process, as with all operational considerations, is to make sure that we are strongly positioned to provide an effective education to all children in every one of our schools.
Current Elementary School Zones in West Knox County K-5 Enrollment As of Oct 11, 2012
Proposed Southwest Elementary School Zone Projected Enrollment August 2013
Proposed Southwest Elementary School Zone From A.L. Lotts From Blue Grass From Farragut
Proposed A.L. Lotts Elementary School Zone From Blue Grass From Cedar Bluff Projected Enrollment August 2013
Proposed Cedar Bluff Elementary School Zone Projected Enrollment August 2013 From Hardin Valley From Ball Camp
Proposed Ball Camp Elementary School Zone From Hardin Valley Projected Enrollment August 2013
Proposed Farragut Primary/Intermediate School Zone Projected Enrollment August 2013 From Hardin Valley From A.L. Lotts
Proposed Blue Grass Elementary School Zone Projected Enrollment August 2013
Proposed Hardin Valley Elementary School Zone Projected Enrollment August 2013
Proposed West Knox County Elementary School Zones for 2013 Projected Enrollment August 2013
Grandfathering • Parent input yielded strong interest in allowing a grandfathering provision • Rising 5th graders and their siblings may remain at current school • Parents MUST apply for a “grandfathering transfer” and transfer will be guaranteed. • If grandfathering transfer form is not submitted, student will be compelled to attend the newly-zoned school. • Transportation is not provided to students who are granted a grandfathering transfer.
Timeline moving forward… • Timeline: • November: Continue parent/community input meetings • Early December: Final elementary rezoning recommendation and vote by the Board of Education • January: School principal appointed • Student transfer window February 4-18, 2013
Next steps • Continued Parent and Community Input • is Important • Questions, feedback, concerns? • Additional resources: • elementaryrezoning@knoxschools.org • Updates posted at www.knoxschools.org