New elementary schools start discussion of redistricting

Columbia Public Schools will start construction on a new elementary school in southwest Columbia.

It is one of three new elementary schools approved, which is starting the discussion of redistricting. Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools Ben Tilley is attending PTA meetings at elementary schools across the city to talk about that process.

The new Columbia elementary school that will be open for the 2016-2017 school year has not been named yet. But it will be located on the northeast corner of Scott Boulevard and South Highway KK. Michelle Baumstark with Columbia Public Schools said it should hold about 600 students.

Michelle Baumstark, Columbia Public Schools: “We’ve had considerable growth in that area over the last several years. We did move about 150 students this past year out of the Mill Creek school building into some of the neighboring school buildings in order to address that continued growth. We had the year prior, too, added additional trailers in order to meet some of those needs. The school district has a goal to be able to eliminate trailers in the school district, so in order to do that we have to build new schools.”

Baumstark said the long-term plan is to add a fourth elementary school which will be voted on next year. Tuesday night, Rockbridge Elementary had a PTA meeting with the assistant superintendent to invite parents to take part in the redistricting process.

Kim Hall, a parent of two Rockbridge Elementary School students, said she hopes her children will not have to transfer schools.

Kim Hall, Rockbridge Elementary parent: “We just moved here last year. So if we did have to change schools again that might be a concern for us. A new school would be great, but at the same time we love Rockbridge. We’re comfortable here and we’re happy.”

The official process will start in October when the boundary committee meets. Six schools across the city may possibly be affected. Those include Fairview, Grant, Mill Creek, Paxton Keeley, Rockbridge and Russell Boulevard. Each school will have a parent representative in the committee. Baumstark said it is too early to tell how many students will be taken from each school.

Baumstark: “We won’t know exactly what that looks like until we start pulling the housing and demographic data and how many students live in each neighborhood, what’s the potential for new growth. There’s a lot of factors that will be considered.”

The committee will consider a transfer policy and a grandfather policy for students with older siblings at the schools. The final boundary decisions will not be made until the Board of Education votes on them next spring.

Construction of the southwest Columbia school will begin in October and is expected to be completed May 2016.