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2008-11-27  ALPHARETTA AND ROSWELL REVUE & NEWS | Parents near Alpharetta's Cogburn Woods
Elem. fight move
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| | by Candy Waylock | | |
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| | | Students and parents from the Coventry and Gatewood subdivisions off Cogburn Road held a ‘solidarity march’ Nov. 19 to protest a possible redistricting. (click for larger version) | |
November 26, 2008
ALPHARETTA - They showed up with kids and dogs and strollers and signs – all to protest a proposed redistricting map that could mean their Alpharetta neighborhoods would be sent to another elementary school next year.
More than 100 people in Coventry and Gatewood subdivisions off Cogburn Road held a "solidarity march" Nov. 19 to express their displeasure at one of the three draft plans currently under review by the school system.
The plan sends them to Manning Oaks Elementary - a school miles away - despite the fact students currently walk to Cogburn Woods Elementary. A third adjacent neighborhood, Rhodes Plantation, would remain at Cogburn Woods.
The redistricting is necessitated by the August opening of a new elementary school in Milton off Birmingham Highway.
"My neighborhood, Coventry, is approximately one-half mile from Cogburn Woods Elementary. It makes no sense to move our children to a different school several miles away to the south, when Cogburn Woods is [walking distance]," said Thomas Bose, a resident of Coventry whose two children attend Cogburn Woods. "[This plan] will increase traffic with cars and buses, make walking to school impossible and break up existing communities (Coventry, Gatewood and Rhodes Plantation)."
The residents of Coventry and Gatewood were joined on their solidarity march by residents of Rhodes Plantation, who also support plans keeping the neighborhoods together.
"These three neighborhoods are very close ... our children play together, are in activities together," said Tracy Harkness, a resident of Rhodes Plantation.
Bose noted all three neighborhoods banded together to lobby for sidewalks linking the three subdivisions to Cogburn Woods Elementary to allow students to walk to school. Having to put their children on the bus next year to go to another school defies logic, he says.
"Surely there is another, less disruptive solution," said Bose.
Bose says he understands the current maps are draft versions only and far from final, but neighbors decided to publicize their situation to get the attention of the school system before the third and final redistricting meeting Dec. 10.
Board member places trust in the process
Katie Reeves is used to emotions associated with the redistricting process. The Fulton County School Board member from Alpharetta recently ended the contentious redistricting of high schools on the east side of Ga. 400, and now has turned her sights to the west side of her district.
While she understands the attachment parents have with their home facility, Reeves said changing schools is a by-product of living in a fast-growing community. More than 20 schools have opened in Alpharetta and Roswell in the past 10 years, with a rezoning occurring with each one.
Reeves said the system's redistricting plan is based foremost on hard data, thereby removing arbitrary changes. Planning staff considers four primary criteria when drawing lines, then considers secondary criteria when a clear outcome is not present.
"We do not have a vote on the maps from the community, we have comments," said Reeves during her November community meeting, which was attended by many concerned with the three draft plans currently under review. "It's highly unlikely [one of three draft plans] would make it through the process and be the final map. And I will say that 90 to 95 percent of people will be happy with the end result."
She advised parents not to listen to rumors flooding neighborhood e-mail chains and parent gatherings, and to make sure information is from official sources. Reeves also said she will not get highly involved in redistricting until the final map is presented to the board for approval.
"The Planning Department is making the maps – not me," she told community members who have besieged her with requests for intervention.
Once the final map has been submitted to the board, Reeves said changes will be made with great caution by the board.
"It's kind of a slap in the face to everyone who participated in the process to have a board member go in and change things," said Reeves.
However, it has been done in the past. Reeves said she would not make any changes to the recommended plan if it impacts another entity (i.e. moving one neighborhood in, which requires another neighborhood to move out); or if it overcrowds a school.
To date, the Fulton County Planning staff has collected nearly 4,000 comments online and had nearly 1,500 people turn out for the two redistricting meetings. It expects large crowds at the final meeting on Dec. 10.
 View images.
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