The Mellon Administrative Center had standing room only for the fourth community forum Monday on the Champaign high school redistricting plan. About 60 community members attended the forum before the scheduled school board meeting to ask questions and discuss the two remaining options for dividing the district.
“There is no such thing as a perfect redistricting plan,” said Jerome McKibben, demographer for the plan. “Somebody at the extremes will have a long drive or have to bypass a school.”
The purpose of redistricting high schools is to balance the student population with the quality of schooling, said Michael McFarland, assistant superintendent for the district.
Barbara Hancin-Bhatt, Champaign resident who has children who will attend one of these high schools, said the most important issue is a balanced, educational experience provided by both schools.
“I understand the need to balance socioeconomics, and it’s very important,” she said. “I think that a lot of parents would be reassured if they knew that regardless of school, their child would be challenged to their ability.”
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McKibben said he thinks option one is superior because it is balanced by size and ethnicity.
He said lines will have to be redrawn in 10 to 15 years because Champaign may have to build a new high school because of predicted enrollment, although demographic changes mean redistricting should take place at this time anyway.
Both plans include a temporary sibling transfer policy for the 2010–2011 school year in an attempt to keep a whole family within one school. Based on the one-year-long policy, a high school student and that student’s sibling will be able to attend the same high school as long as they are within three years of age. The rule applies even if the family is outside of that district. But in some circumstances, siblings will be split up unless the student who is already in high school voluntarily transfers.
If students are already enrolled in high school, they can choose whether they want to transfer to the other school.
Champaign community member Rob Murdock said his family is in an area that will be switched to Central in both options, but his children will remain at Centennial.
He has a son who is a sophomore at Centennial and a daughter in the seventh grade. Because of the sibling transfer policy, his daughter will be able to attend Centennial.
“The schools are roughly equivalent,” Murdock said. “We’ve already gotten to know the teachers at Centennial, transportation will be a cinch, and most of her friends will go to Centennial.”
At the November meeting, McKibben and McFarland will recommend option one or option two for the school board to vote upon. McFarland said community members can voice their opinion about the options until the meeting.
