Sandhills_Sentinel

Redistricting continues to be a work in progress as the school board Monday unveiled the second draft of a countywide redistricting plan. The plan has provoked a lot of discussion and parent feedback, and this new plan ostensibly takes that input into consideration.

Parents and interested citizens will have two additional chances to attend community input meetings. Area III (Area III map) will be meeting Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Southern Pines Middle School. A detailed map of the revisions for the most recent draft is available here. 

Areas I and II (Area I Map and Area II Map) will have a meeting on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at New Century Middle School. Detailed maps, school staff, and consultants will be available to answer questions and to receive community feedback.

The plan’s primary stated purpose is to shift students from crowded schools into schools where space is available. However, a very vocal organization of parents opposed to the redistricting believe it is an attempt to cover up schools that are receiving low marks on state-mandated evaluations.

Of the 23 Moore County Schools graded on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s website, 13 of them received a grade C or lower, and no schools received an A rating.

Several of the schools in Aberdeen and Southern Pines that are being supplanted by new construction received grades of D for the 2017-2018 school year. 

However, school officials state that the plan is designed to distribute students more evenly and that by the 2022-2023 school year no elementary school will be serving more students than their designed capacity.

According to Board Vice -Chair Libby Carter, as the district grows and the redistricting plan is implemented in middle schools, and even some elementary schools will be split in terms of the students from one school being assigned to different middle/high schools.

You can find more detailed information on the Moore County Schools Website.

Feature photo of second draft of proposed schools’ attendance area courtesy of Moore County Schools.

~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Local News/Government Reporter Chris Prentice. 
   Contact him at [email protected] or (910) 639-9303.

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