Durbin Crossing and Nocatee - New School Zoning (Lakeside: 2015, established neighborhood)

[RSWATTY]

The St. Johns County School District has come out with its tentative school rezoning maps for the Northern part of the County as a result of the new K-8 schools opening up in Durbin Crossing and Nocatee next year.

Looks like they have only one proposal for the Northwest area of the County, but two alternate proposals for the Northeast area of the County.

St. Johns County School District - Attendance Zone Changes for 2014-2015

I believe they are accepting feedback on the plans now and hope to have final plans approved before the end of the calendar year.

[fsquid]

thanks for posting. Can't tell the boundary for the new NW high school though.

[RSWATTY]

Originally Posted by fsquid

thanks for posting. Can't tell the boundary for the new NW high school though.

There's no new high school being built in the NW area at present. What that information details is their plan to rezone the Aberdeen community from Creekside High School to Bartram Trail High School, though they will allow current 9th, 10th and 11th graders from Aberdeen to stay at Creekside for the rest of their high school years so long as those families provide their own transportation.

[fsquid]

ahhhh, gotacha. I misunderstood.

[SaintCabbage]

Worst... Map... Ever...

[JMMH]

Thanks for posting, was wondering how the zones would change with the new schools. No changes for my neighborhood with the proposals.

[Acebab]

These are my basic thoughts in regards to Plan A vs Plan B. If you are looking at the color coded map and the numbers involved, Plan A seems to make the most sense. HOWEVER, Plan A only takes into account todays CURRENT situation. I totally get why WC, Florentine and the Oaks want to go to the new school from a geographic perspective, but as many Nocatee residents who have driven by Ocean Palms on their way to PVPV for many years know, it is not all about geography.

What Plan B provides that Plan A does not, is the ability to grow in a sensible way. If Plan B is implemented, then Nocatee residents have years of growth to bring the new school to full capacity. I know that some Nocatee residents are in favor of holding out for another new school, however, the school board announced that with the building of these two schools simultaneously that there would no new schools built for at least five years. If the school board continues to keep Nocatee neighborhoods zoned for OP and LMS, then those schools that have been temorarily relieved of their overcrowded situations will be over crowded once again sooner rather than later as Nocatee continues to grow. If they keep WC, the Oaks, and Florentine zoned for OP and LMS, they will be working with a known number as these neighbhorhoods are established and complete. Yes, these students will have to drive by the new school on their way to school, however, once again, MANY Nocatee neighborhoods have been driving by OP for years on their way to PVPV. Both OP and LMS are amazing schools. WC, the Oaks, and Florentine have gone to these school for years and it will be no disruption for their children. Plan A, disrupts these children as well as the children from Coastal Oaks, Lakeside and the Enclave. Nocatee residents bought into the community knowing and waiting for the new school(s) to be built - they were aware when they purchased that their children would someday be disrupted.

With Option B, all Noactee childen would be moved to the new school, but the room that the new school has for growth means that Nocatee residents can breath easy for several more years before a rezoning might occur again - and at that time it is presumed that a rezoning will occur because another new school is built in Nocatee. This will not be near of a dirsuption to the Nocatee children as they will still be in their same community, seeing the same children at the Splashpark, etc. It also means that the Walden Chase, Florentine and Oaks residents can breath easy not worring about rezoning because they will not have to worry about their schools becoming rapidly over crowded due to growing neighborhoods - all schools zoned for OP and LMS would be established neighborhoods - again, known entities.

The only other possible suggestion I might make to the school board would be for Florentine to be rezoned to Palencia. One woman repeatedly said that her daughter spent 51 minutes on the bus going to Ocean Palms - if geography is that much of an issue for that community, they might take into consideration rezoning those children to Palencia Elementary. Palencia is a 6.3 miles straight down US-1 from Florentine whereas Ocean Palms is 10.6 miles from Florentine - on slower travelling roads. It would mean much less commuting time for these children if they were rezoned to Palencia - which is another great new school.