Durham County to Reassign Elementary Students (Clayton, Welcome: transfer, neighborhoods, construction)

[PDXmom]

There is often talk on this board about the reassignment issues that Wake County has endured. And up until this point Durham Public Schools have escaped forced reassignment. However, reassignment is now here in Durham County.

I attended the Durham Board of Education Meeting tonight and the jest is that to ease over crowding at Creekside Elementary some students will be redistricted. There will be a Special School Board Meeting held Thursday January 31st at 6:30 to discuss Creekside Elementary Assignment. This is the only item on the agenda so you won't have to wade through other business to get this item. The meeting will be held at Fuller Administration Building, 511 Cleveland St, Durham.

There will also be a Public Hearing held at Creekside Elementary on Feb 7th for citizens to make public statement.

At the January 31st meeting The Office of School Assignment will present a a proposal to alleviate crowding at Creekside. It is thought that the students from the Southpoint Mall Area will be redistricted as these are the students that are the furthest from Creekside. All of the elementary schools surrounding Creekside (Forestview, Parkwood, Southwest) are above capacity as well. Thus the students redistricted will be sent from one over crowded school to another over crowded school.

Property values are often linked to the quality of assigned schools. This is possibly more so in Durham County than in Wake County because there are larger performance differences amongst schools in Durham County.

If you live in the Southpoint area and are concerned how reassignment may affect your child(ren) or property values I recommend that you either attend one of the mentioned meetings or write the school board members. You can find a list of them at:
http://www.dpsnc.net/index.php?option=com_contact&catid=119&Itemid=623 (broken link)

You can also follow this story at www.creeksidepta.com.

While this was not discussed tonight, there is also some concern that the Southpoint Area may be redistricted from Jordan High to Hillside High to reduce over crowding at Jordan. While I personally don't see that happening before the next school year this is something to consider if you live in this area. I only share this because I wish I had known it before I bought my house.

[welovedurham]

I am sorry that this is affecting your family. It must be frustrating to have to change schools after just settling in.

Can you talk more about what the difference is between "forced reassignment" and the periodic redistricting that happens in school systems when populations shift?

The last discussion I remember about redistricting was when some of the Woodcroft residents did not want to be assigned to Southwest elementary, but I think that is a nonissue now, AFAIK.

Is Jordan overcrowded as well?

It's interesting to see how the lines are drawn on the assignment map:
DPS District Site - Student Assignment Maps (http://www.dpsnc.net/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=1102/assignmentmaps/index.php? - broken link)
(That only works for me in IE.) I would imagine they try to circle areas to keep the schools from being overcrowded? Unfortunately, that big chunk assigned to Creekside is where all that recent development is happening...

I look forward to hearing more. Thanks for sharing this!

[lamishra]

I feel for you, but I am also not suprised. Durham is quickly becoming a fast growing area and will eventually be faced with many of the same problems as Wake. While I know Durham doesn't bus for diversity purposes, there is ALWAYS the issue of too many students and not enough seats when an area grows so quickly. I have a strong suspicion that Clayton schools will be faced with this problem as well in the not so distant future.

[welovedurham]

I remembered we just approved a bond in Durham for new schools. Construction, of course, is not an immediate process, but I found a website that has all kinds of data and maps of DPS construction projects, plus FAQs about growth:

DPS Construction - Home (http://www.dpsnc.net/construction/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 - broken link)

[Esperanza27713]

I know no one likes reassignments, and Creekside has a good buzz going on. The point about overcrowding at the other schools is valid as well. Too bad a new elementary school takes so long to build!

As you may know, my son attends Southwest Elementary. He is in kindergarten. I'm no pushover when it comes to schools - my life's work is education. I have found Southwest to be a fine school. There are lots of great things happening there. (Last week's science fair was standing room only during the awards ceremony!) I can only imagine the gains the school would make by adding some of the Southpoint area neighborhoods (and involved parents) to the district.

I hope that as the anti-reassignment troops gather, damage is not done (unfairly!!) to the reputations of at least this one school on the reassignment list. Southwest Elementary is a fine school and should not be maligned in the process. Southpoint families would do well to land there, if that's how it all shakes out. I say, "Welcome!"

[VickiR]

In the last 2 years, Durham has seen alot of growth. Thats a good thing. Its helped Durham outgrow its stigma. However, I tell ALL clients...you are assigned to this school for this year but NEVER count on being assigned to the same school every year. Its just growth and I'm surprised at how many people just don't get it.

I also posted that Johnston County is getting two new high schools. Yes, there will be re districting. Its already begun but in a much smaller amount than at Wake County.

Its growth. I've lived with it, as a parent of 4 kids, for 30 years and I'm amazed at those that don't get it.

Vicki

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by lamishra

I feel for you, but I am also not suprised. Durham is quickly becoming a fast growing area and will eventually be faced with many of the same problems as Wake. While I know Durham doesn't bus for diversity purposes, there is ALWAYS the issue of too many students and not enough seats when an area grows so quickly. I have a strong suspicion that Clayton schools will be faced with this problem as well in the not so distant future.

Thank you for the support. You are right, it's a simple not enough seats for all the kids. Honestly, after the first day of school at Creekside this year I knew this was coming and suspected it would be this year that the school had to address this.

I posted this thread to encourage citizen involvement but to also let folks who are relocating now that Durham is starting to experience the same school growth issues. And as you point out, I'm sure Johnston County will be next.

Honestly, I think my kids will be fine if we get reassigned, because regardless we will be active in their educations. I do have concerns about the health and safety of the facilities of the neighboring school we would most likily be assigned too. I've heard of mold issues. Plan to check that out. For the sake of the kids currently there I'm hoping that this is misinformation.

What I would like to see is the district to slow down and really look at the long term picture before reassignments are made. IMO they have not spent the time researching demographics trends, traffic trends, and building quality to see if the other schools can sustain overcrowding. I think Durham BofE has an opportunity to restructure several schools in this district making them more socio-economically balanced. If they slow down and take a year to research this instead of just reacting then they will have a REAL opportunity to improve many schools in Durham.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by Esperanza27713

I hope that as the anti-reassignment troops gather, damage is not done (unfairly!!) to the reputations of the schools on the reassignment list. Southwest Elementary is a fine school and should not be maligned in the process. Southpoint families would do well to land there, if that's how it all shakes out.

Esperanza, I hear you there. We went through a similar situation in Portland with school closures and as a parent group it was our goal not to pit school against school and damage reputations. We suceeded. From the parents I saw last night I think they are like minded. HOWEVER, every school has the loose cannons which let the emotions drive the mouth and say unreasonable & unfounded things. I'm hoping I'll be proved wrong.

I agree that ultimately adding Southpoint Families to Southwest would serve both the reassigned students and Southwest. I've heard GREAT things about your school & Principal.

We are closer to Parkwood (where I live) and this area was districted for Parkwood prior to Creekside opening. My ONLY concern about Parkwood is the age and condition of facilities. It is currently at 102% capacity. I've heard of condition problems (which I plan to check on myself to see if they are true). So that makes me wonder if the facility can support being at 120%+ of capacity.

I don't think the district has taken the time to do these sort of impact studies. They need to slow down and rethink these sorts of things. If they do I personally think they can create long term solutions to IMPROVE all the schools in South Durham and help some of them overcome unfounded stigmas.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by welovedurham

I remembered we just approved a bond in Durham for new schools. Construction, of course, is not an immediate process, but I found a website that has all kinds of data and maps of DPS construction projects, plus FAQs about growth:

DPS Construction - Home (http://www.dpsnc.net/construction/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 - broken link)

The School Board Meeting discussed Bond Referendum Projects last night. The earliest they can legally issue bonds and thus begin work is March 08. Several schools including Creekside have priorty. So the project of adding onto Creekside will begin very soon. HOWEVER, the project starts with stuff like design approvals, bidding & contracts, city permiting. Actual, construction is not slated to be complete until Aug 2010.

IMO, by this time the area directly surrounding Creekside will have been developed to the point that those kids will over fill Creekside. Thus those of us in the Southpoint area will not have a chance to get redistricted back.

One thing that the City needs to work on is the permiting process for schools. Part of the reason it takes so long for a school to be built is the city permiting. It sounds that this is the one thing that could spend things up. This affects all schools in Durham County that need to expand or new schools. So this isn't just a Creekside / Southpoint issue.

Edit: I forgot to answer your first post... sorry. Jordan is either at capacity or slightly over. However, they are projecting in the next few years it will be "bulging at the seams too". It's the best High School in South Durham and with DPS liberal transfer policy everyone wants to go there. The bond referendum projects shows there is to be New High School A built by April 2012. But it does not say where that high school will be. Hillside is currently underenrolled. Before it opened 15 plus years ago it was suppose to include families from south of 40 (much of current day Southpoint).

[mdp_az]

So if I'm understanding all of this correctly, it is possible that the elementary schools in southern Durham might benefit from greater economic diversity after these reassignments? All reassignments are due only to growth and capacity issues and all would still be neighborhood schools with no forced busing?

I just can't help but think of that Alanis Morissette song right now..."Isn't it ironic, don't you think"