Apalachee Cluster Rezoning Proposal
In August 2023, the Barrow County School System will open its tenth (10th) elementary school on the Innovation Campus off Austin Road. Below, you can review the process and considerations for the new elementary school.
Two rezoned maps have been recommended by the committee.
If anyone has any concerns about either map, please complete the input form for the elementary and/or middle school proposal no later than January 15, 2023.
In the Fall of 2022, the school system went through a process of considering how to best utilize this school. After much deliberation and public input, a recommendation was made and adopted by the Board of Education to open the new school as a traditional elementary school requiring the rezoning of schools in the Apalachee Cluster.
During November and December 2022, a rezoning team met to discuss criteria for rezoning and the options for elementary and middle school zones. Three options were considered for each level.
Each school affected by the rezone in the AHS cluster had equal representation on the committee. The rezoning team was comprised of 33 people, which included:
- principals (6)
- teachers (6)
- parents (12)
- Board of Education members (4)
- community members (2)
- district personnel (3)
The committee recommended the following map options. We extend a sincere thank you to the individuals that dedicated their time to this important initiative.
The following were the primary criteria considered by the committee for selecting attendance zones:
- Length of time on transportation/proximity to school
- No splitting of subdivisions
- Safety of transportation
- Avoiding difficult turns
- Staying off Hwy 316 as much as possible
- Balance of enrollment across schools
- Consideration of expected future growth
- Title I/Social Economic Status balance
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPOSAL
The rezone committee has proposed the following map to rezone the elementary schools in the Apalachee Cluster.
Features:
- Most balanced distribution of students among schools
- Projected growth is best distributed among schools
- Maintains major roads as dividing lines
- Traffic patterns are better than with other options
If you have concerns about or suggested improvements to the elementary school proposal, please complete the input form here.
For a closer look, click the image to open a PDF.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROPOSAL
The rezone committee has proposed the following map to rezone the middle schools in the Apalachee Cluster.
NOTE: This option does not maintain the feeder school format, per the committee’s choice. This means some elementary schools will feed into more than one middle school. See below for more information.
Features:
- No changes for Middle School Attendance Zones or Transportation Routes
- More even distribution of students among middle schools
- More flexibility for future growth
- Transition to new middle school easier for students
If you have concerns about or suggested improvements to the middle school proposal, please complete the input form here.
For a closer look, click the image to open a PDF.
FEEDER SCHOOLS
The options recommended by the rezone committee do not maintain the feeder school format. This means some elementary schools will feed into more than one middle school. As you can see in the map below, students at the new elementary school and Bethlehem Elementary will not all attend the same middle school. At each of these two schools, some students will attend Westside Middle and some students will attend Haymon-Morris Middle.
If you have concerns about or suggested improvements to the middle school rezoning proposal, please complete the input form here.
For a closer look, click the image to open a PDF.
We are thrilled to announce Julia Hodges as the principal for the new elementary school...
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