Schools

School Board Considers Redistricting Map that Leaves Johns Creek Untouched

Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell schools affected by latest redistricting plan.

The Fulton County Board of Education got its first official look at a redistricting plan recommended by its staff that only affects students and schools west of GA 400.

Roswell, Milton and Alpharetta high schools will have attendance zones changed for the opening of the new school on Bethany Bend in 2012, if the school board doesn't make changes to the plan. Untouched will be attendance zones for Chattahoochee, Johns Creek, Northview and Centennial high schools.

District 5 Board member Linda McCain, who represents Johns Creek, said parents in her district went through the shuffle of redistricting two years ago when Johns Creek High School was built.

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"The area I come from, we are very well versed in the change and upheaval. I want to say right now everybody is breathing a sigh of relief," McCain said.

She said they understand what everyone on the other side of GA 400 is going through.

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At the direction of the board, Yngrid Huff, director of Operational Planning, explained the differences to this recommendation from the proposal residents saw at the final public input session on April 23.

Some changes were made in the Birmingham Falls Elementary School area, where Huff said parents "expressed some concern to maintain north-south travel."

But instead of using Freemanville Road, staff had to use Birmingham Highway, said Huff.

In areas close to Alpharetta Elementary School and Providence Road, in the final draft plan students living there were heading to Milton High. But they are closer to the Bethany Bend campus, and the use of the north-south divide also allows these students to be moved over to Bethany Bend.

"I hope all of the negative comments and that sort of thing start to die down as people start to look forward," said board member Katie Reeves, "and look forward to the excitement of creating a new school community."

Many Roswell parents don't understand why any changes are being made to Roswell High School's attendance zone, said Board Chairman Linda Schultz.

"People in Roswell are not accustomed to redistricting," she said.

They feel no growth is expected, so Schultz asked Huff to confirm that growth is expected.

What Huff explained is that the school already is almost 500 students above state mandated capacity. The school's capacity is set at 2,000 students, but in the current school year 2,463 were enrolled.

"So right now the school is over capacity," Huff said.

Projections call for it to grow to 2,516 students by 2014.

"And Roswell High School desperately needs some relief in regards to extra enrollment and some capacity," Huff said.

She said the three year enrollment projects still leave some room for growth, with 114 seats left at Milton High, 132 at the new Bethany Bend school, and at Alpharetta, the largest school by capacity, 200 seats are left open for growth

Very little was done to change middle school attendance zones, Huff said. The elimination of an existing split feed that affects fewer than 10 students was made, sending students from Elkins Pointe to Crabapple Middle School.

Rezoning alone can't address overcrowding, Huff said.

"Additional middle school capacity is needed. Until those seats are added, split feeds will continue to exist in North Fulton," she said.

No vote was taken at this meeting. The school board's first chance to take action on the redistricting proposal will be on May 19 at its regular meeting.

To offer feedback on this latest redistricting map, visit the school system's  Web site.

Attendance zone changes include the following as recommended:

Roswell HS to Milton HS

  • All the area east of Etris Rd including but not limited to Edenwilde and Summerhill Farms
  • All areas north of Hembree Rd and east of Crabapple Road including but not limited to Orchard Trace, Crabapple Walk, Crabapple Parc, Crabapple Lake, Saddle Creek, Hembree Farms, The Gables and Taylor Oaks
  • All areas north of Mansell Rd and east of Houze Rd including but not limited to Hawkins Cove, Hembree Grove, Hembree Springs Drive, Creekside at Mansell, Arbor Creek, Rosemont, Old Ellis Point and Old Roswell Corners

Alpharetta HS to Bethany Bend HS Site

  • All the area within the Cogburn Woods ES zone, including Summit Deer Creek, Avensong, Fairmont, Bethany Creek, Belleterre, Bellemeade Farms, Lake Laurel and Wyndham

Milton HS to Bethany Bend HS Site

  •  All the area north of Old Milton Pkwy and east of Wills Rd including Burnett Way, Nathan Circle, Parklane and Wills Commons
  • All the area between Milton Ave and Mayfield Rd (east of Providence Rd) including Lynne Circle, streets off of Mayfield Circle and the Milton Glen subdivision
  • Between Mayfield Rd and Haygood/Bethany Rd, all areas east of Providence Rd including Spence’s Field, Hook Road, North Trace, Rhodes Plantation, Hopewell Place, Providence Square, Providence Oaks, Evergrace, Brookshade, The Lake at Cooper Sandy, Sandy Creek Farms, Crabapple Forest, Bethany Oaks, Sunnybrook Farms, Shadowood Farms, Crooked Creek and Five Acre Estates
  • All areas along Providence Road between Haygood/Bethany Rd and Freemanville Rd including Holcombe’s Farm
  • Between Providence Rd and Redd Rd, all areas east of, but not along, Freemanville Rd
  • From Redd Rd, all areas along and east of Freemanville Rd (except for a short section just north of Redd Rd) including Nettlebrook Farms, Potterstone, Wood Valley, Fieldstone Farm, North Valley, Oaks at White Columns, North Fields, Champions View, Plantation Trace, Manor Bridge Drive, Sable Pointe, Henderson Heights and Highland Manor
  • From a point just south of Louis Rd, all subdivisions north along Freemanville including White Columns and Kingsley Estates.
  • Between Glenover Dr and Birmingham Rd, all areas east of, but not directly along, Birmingham Hwy including White Columns, Three Oaks and Colonnade Way
  • All areas along Birmingham Rd east of Birmingham Hwy


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