Reminder: Final CSD K-3 Redistricting Meeting Tonight
Decatur Metro | November 16, 2010
Just a reminder to everyone that tonight is your last opportunity to speak up about your preference between Maps 4 and 8 of the impending K-3 redistricting.
The meeting will begin at 6pm with an hour-long information session, which will be followed by a public hearing starting at 7p. Needless to say, the meeting will be held at Westchester.
Here’s a link to the final two maps if you need it. Also feel free to use this post as an open-thread post-meeting if you’re so inclined.
Latest from Decaturish
Ugh, I can’t read these maps!!
My house seems to be in Oakhurst either way. If you’re the Nathan who lives down the street from me on Adair, our street is on Oakhurst in both maps.
The map is somewhat difficult to read, but just think about the streets in the city, find Ponce and Scott, and you’ll be able to figure it out.
Honest and curious question – how do you find the walk from Adair to Oakhurst?
Well, there are three crossing guards at the intersection, and usually at least one policeman, so they get those kids across Howard and the tracks and Commerce very safely and efficiently. When my boy was in third grade, we always walked him across, or he walked with a group, and I went over and walked him home. The bus schedule was insane, so I didn’t even bother.
My kids walked across the tracks to Renfroe without incident.
Thanks for the Adair feedback. It seems like it would be a long distance to Oakhurst but I know it’s not when compared with the alternative to Clairemont. Hearing it from others is helpful.
Going to miss seeing the walkers from the MAK area & McKoy Ave area at Oakhurst.
Old refrain: If you don’t give feedback, no complaining later. In my experience, you get no credit for keeping quiet. If you have an issue later, it’s not like you get to say “I was quiet when I was sort of concerned, but not too much, so now you should pay attention to this issue that really upsets me….”
And if one of the maps really pleases you, say so. CSD, like any government agency, gets its share of complaints, so positive feedback counts for a whole lot.
Anybody attend the meeting and have a report? (I put in my $.02 via the webpage.)
Nathan,
There are very large versions of these maps hanging in the K-3 schools right now. Feel free to stop by WP (or another K-3 school) and let the office know you want to see the maps.
Greg Wiseman
Principal, Winnona Park
Hello future principal!
Question for future principal: Who would the contact be to request the the McDonough/Doughtery and Candler/Doughtery crossing guards arrive in time for the wave of MAK kids going to WP next year. Right now, I think that they arrive only in time for the Renfroe/DHS kids. Would that be public safety or CSD admins?
MrFixlt,
Good thinking!
Decatur PD. Officer Straun (sp?) is in charge of the crossing guards.
Call me at the end of the school year to remind me to follow up with her.
Thanks
Greg
i would even like to see police presence at the dougherty/candler crosswalk…as in police car parked with lights on..being proactive with the safety of that crosswalk is #1 as i have seen those cars fly down candler road.
Thanks MrFixIt. I was wondering the same thing. Sounds like we’ll be walking the same route next year.
I think a walk train is in order. Little known fact, that Winnona is actually a shorter walk from MAK than Oakhurst..(from my house it’s .6 miles while OA is .9 miles) though they are about equidistant as the crow flies.
Just trying to find the silver lining!
I think a walk train is doable and will be a great way for grumpy kids to connect in the morning.
If it makes y’all feel better, many Clairemont kids walk or bike well over a mile (as the bike rolls, not as the crow flies) to Clairemont so it’s do-able. In our family’s experience, less than .5 miles is faster to walk/bike than drive, .5-1.0 miles is easly walkable/bikeable if you don’t have a grumply morning child, 1.0 to 1.5 miles is do-able but requires more planning and a grown-up. Over 1.5 miles? We have no idea but our trip to Fifth Avenue is always 2 1/2 miles or more no matter how much I play with the route on MapQuest.
Thanks karass– I find the walk over to WP to be delightful (except the Candler crossing, but the crossing guards will help there). You hit the nail on the head with the grumpy morning child issue, though… Maybe MrFixIt’s proposed walk train will add positive peer pressure for the little ones (like mine) who may need it!
I went last night, and to the first one as well. Last night, there were maybe 10 folks there, the majority from the Rosewalk neighborhood. The majority of comments made to the board (3 of 5) were to address how map 8 splits 1 of the two streets in Rosewalk in half (full disclosure – I’m a Rosewalk peep). The other two speakers addressed how both maps impact Oakhurst and Clairmont, respectively. Based on the low turnout, my guess is most people are satisfied with the two final choices. And I can’t speak from personal experience, but I think the walk from Adair to Oakhurst is manageable. There are two crossing guards on DeKalb Ave., and often a Decatur police car sitting there, so I think it’s as safe as it can be. If the majority of Rosewalk goes to Clairmont, then my guess is there won’t be any walking to that school.
Wow, it makes no sense to send ANY of Rosewalk to Clairemont when it’s so close to Oakhurst.
hey must be doing that because of demographics.
Agree that it’s odd, especially since there’s concerns about overcrowding at Clairemont and sending all of Rosewalk to Oakhurst would relieve that a teeny bit. Wonder if Oakhurst would then be overcrowded? I can’t remember at what point it would start to need trailers. Re demographics, I imagine it would push Clairemont’s low income percentage even a little higher but it can’t be that many students so I wouldn’t think it’d have a huge effect. Plus I thought that natural neighborhood boundaries has now become the overriding factor in drawing zone lines, given that we no longer have the huge income and racial disparities that used to exist geographically in Decatur but now are related more to DHA in the center of town.
Obviously, I agree with your statement, Diane:-). I actually think the split had more to do with the GA State folks not understanding/paying attention to the neighborhood divide, rather than demographics or similar. And we’re not talking a ton of kids, probably 7-8 over the next couple of years (and dispersed throughout all grades). I can’t imagine that this small number would have an impact on % of lower income students, either.