To:

Members, Board of Education

From:

Terry B. Grier, Ed.D.

Date:

April 25 , 2007

RE:

Welborn/Ferndale Attendance Zone

As you know, the Board and our staff have received numerous telephone calls and emails from parents living in the Blairwood community seeking clarity regarding middle school assignment for the 2007-08 school year. The requests stems from a discrepancy between the possible intent of the Board when it voted to approve the plan and the way the Board minutes were written to record the Board’s action. 

It is my recollection that the “intent” of the Board was that redistricting would be effective with 2006-07 sixth graders and all subsequent rising sixth graders for that specific portion of the redistricting plan and that 2006-07 seventh graders would not be affected and would be allowed to remain at Welborn during the 2007-08 school year (as eighth graders) with transportation provided by the district.  This “intent” differs from Board Policy JBCC which allows students to be grandfathered, but with parents providing transportation.
 
Given the lack of clarity between Board intent, the way the minutes are recorded, and Policy JBCC, I recommend that the Board affirm its intent to give the rising eighth grade students living in this community the option of attending Ferndale or Welborn (Welborn has space) for the 2007-08 school year with the district providing transportation.  Doing so will not incur additional costs to the district as existing middle school bus routes can be used to service these students.

As of Friday, April 20, seven out of 27 eligible rising eighth grade students had requested to remain at Welborn – this number may increase if the district agrees to provide transportation, but it should not exceed the 27 who are eligible.