Parents to Reassess Redistricting Proposal

At the first meeting of a committee to discuss school redistricting for the 2013–2014 school year, members described the school system's as “ambitious” and “a shell game.” 

In a report released last week, school staff proposed redistricting 2,800 students in fall 2013, mostly in the eastern part of the county.

Officials said that redistricting was necessary to fill a  on Ducketts Lane.

"This is an ambitious plan," said one member of the redistricting committee at its June 19 kickoff meeting.

The redistricting committee includes 12 parents and were selected by the school system's . Of the members, five are from Ellicott City; two from greater Elkridge; two from Columbia; two from Fulton; and one from West Friendship.

“We were trying to hit as much of the geography as possible,” said Joel Gallihue, manager of school planning for Howard County Public School System (HCPSS).

Still, he cautioned members to think independently of where they lived. “You’re not here to seed the ground of your community,” said Gallihue. “You’re here to think creatively.”

The redistricting committee has until September to come up with recommendations. It will meet weekly at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays until then. The school board must approve a plan by Nov. 15. 

One committee member said he wasn't sure he agreed with parts of the redistricting proposal, noting that in some cases parents would have to drive by other elementary schools to get their children to the one where they are assigned.

“It looks like a shell game,” the committee member said. Specifically, he mentioned Rockburn and Ilchester.

According to the plan proposed by staff, 186 students will move from to ; the same plan calls for moving 42 students from Rockburn to Ilchester. 

“It may be that there is a glaring weakness,” said Gallihue, and he asked the committee to find those areas and come up with solutions.

The goal is to balance enrollments at all schools so they are between 90 and 110 percent capacity, said Gallihue. Currently, is projected to be at more than 125 percent capacity in 2013.

Last year's recommendation was to redistrict 1,157 students, and Gallihue said based on that experience: "There will be people coming to these meetings who are upset."

In response to a request by Elkridge Patch for the names of committee members, Gallihue said that while they weren't secret, the names would not be published. "We’ll get into situations where people will bother their neighbor," he said. "I try to keep it as calm as possible."

Another staff member echoed at the June 19 meeting that the committee's task in the months ahead would be highly charged.

“There’s no more agonizing decision that [school board members] make other than redistricting,” said Ken Roey, executive director of facilities for HCPSS.

“They’re reluctant to do it themselves," he said. "[But] we’re opening a new school, so unless I get fired because the school doesn’t open, we’re going to redistrict.”

This story has been updated to reflect that two members of the committee are from Elkridge.