Redistricting Advisory Committee 2023-24 Soliciting Community Feedback for Proposed Redistricting Scenarios Affecting Northern Feeder Pattern Schools

Redistricting Advisory Committee 2023-24 Soliciting Community Feedback for Proposed Redistricting Scenarios Affecting Northern Feeder Pattern Schools

NEWS RELEASE


(ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Virginia)—At its August 10, 2023, meeting, the Albemarle County School Board directed Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Haas to convene a committee to study current attendance boundaries for elementary schools in our northern feeder pattern. Now, the Redistricting Advisory Committee 2023-24 is asking residents of the affected school communities to complete the Redistricting Advisory Committee 2023-2024 Community Survey by Wednesday, February 7.

The committee, made up of representatives from each school affected by the study, is tasked with a two-phased approach to studying existing attendance boundaries. They are tasked with addressing the first phase which aims to immediately relieve overcrowding at Baker-Butler Elementary; decrease enrollment at Woodbrook Elementary; increase enrollment at Stony Point Elementary; and finalize the location of the new Northern Feeder Pattern Elementary School, among other objectives.

The community survey is intended to gather opinions and comments on several proposed scenarios that the committee has constructed in an effort to meet the objectives outlined in Phase 1 of the study. Survey participants will be asked to express their level of support for the proposed scenarios and will be provided an opportunity to leave additional thoughts to share with the committee.

Current proposed scenarios, as well as the project scope and a full list of study objectives, can be reviewed by visiting k12albemarle.org/redistricting.

“Our committee has worked exceptionally hard since October to produce scenarios that resolve enrollment issues that several of our schools are facing,” said Rosalyn Schmitt, Chief Operating Officer for Albemarle County Public Schools. “That’s why it’s incredibly important for our community to share their thoughts on these scenarios with us, so that we can ensure that voices from all of our community members are represented in this recommendation.”

In conjunction with the survey, Albemarle County Public Schools staff have held three in-person community meetings and one virtual community meeting at several affected schools to gather input on behalf of the committee.

At its final meeting on February 12, the committee will review the community feedback and settle on a recommendation to Dr. Haas that aims to meet each objective outlined in Phase 1 of the study. If approved by Dr. Haas, the recommendation will be presented to the school board at its meeting on Thursday, February 22. The school board will then hold a public hearing on the recommended scenario on a soon-to-be-decided date before voting on the recommendation at its Thursday, March 14, meeting.

Once a redistricting scenario is approved by the school board, attendance boundary changes will go into effect at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Affected students and their families will be notified of attendance changes in the spring of 2024.

For more information on the topic and to view all committee materials, please visit the Redistricting Advisory Committee 2023-24 web page at k12albemarle.org/redistricting or email rac@k12albemarle.org.


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