cherry creek school district

Before about 75 parents at a public meeting Tuesday, Mooresville Graded School District officials presented their draft of revised student attendance lines meant to accommodate the new Mooresville Intermediate School and the district's new elementary school on Rocky River Road in the 2009-10 school year.

"I believe I'm biased, but I believe very strongly that regardless of what school students attend, they will receive an excellent education," Supt. Mark Edwards told the group at Mooresville High.

Three displays of the district's new attendance lines were available for parents, MGSD officials and others in the audience to view prior to and following the presentation by Edwards and John Chesser from the Urban Institute out of UNC-Charlotte, with whom the district worked in conjunction with during the redistricting process.

Since early in the school year, the MGSD and Chesser have been reevaluating and amending the district's current attendance lines to distribute elementary students among three schools – the new school slated for completion in July 2009 in addition to Park View and South elementaries – and flowing them back into two schools at the intermediate level.

Additionally, the district had to consider the relocation of third grade back to the MGSD elementary schools from their current position at MIS and East Mooresville Intermediate.

Inviting input from the community on the redistricting plans, Edwards said he will also recommend to the Board of Education a "school choice component," which would allow families the option of choosing which elementary or intermediate school their child attends, provided the parent can supply transportation.

"If you want to attend outside of your (individual school) district for any reason," Edwards said, parents would have that option available to them through an application process. "We think there's a lot of value in that. Ultimately, you are saying we are attending the school we want to attend."

The details of the school choice option, however, must still be ironed out, MGSD officials noted. Guidelines for this option will likely become available in early 2009.

Per the question of one parent following the initial presentation, Edwards explained that within the next 10 years, more redistricting may be necessary to accommodate for the construction of additional facilities in the MGSD.

"We've done a 10-year projection based on our capacity and growth rate," said Edwards, referring to a "Facility Capacity Analysis vs. Enrollment Projections" planning document submitted to the school board in February by MGSD Director of Operations Stephen Mauney.

Added the superintendent, "I would anticipate about seven years out we would need a new intermediate school."

http://www2.statesville.com/content/2008/dec/05/school-attendance-lines-getting-new-look/news-local/