Brunswick County parents view final school redistricting map options

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Parents got a chance to see the final drafts of four school redistricting map options Monday night before they get presented to the board of education Tuesday.

Although the consulting firm hired by the Brunswick County Board of Education tweaked some of the draft maps based on feedback from the public and created a fourth map, parents still had concerns.

“Option four is unusual, it seems to be more disruptive than one two and three,” Belville Elementary parent David Donovan said.

The firm also modified options two and three based on public feedback. President of the firm Matthew Cropper says parents and staff were concerned Lincoln elementary would become overcrowded.

“In order to do that, more students were added back to Belville,” Cropper said. “So we sent more students from areas that were assigned to Belville to Town Creek.”

David Donovan has twin sons in fourth grade at Belville Elementary. He wants the board to allow rising fifth grade students to stay at their current schools for their final elementary school year.

“It’s hard enough to displace a child to a new school, but to do it twice in two years is even more disruptive and I don’t want to put my kids through that,” Donovan said.

School board member Ed Lemon says he wouldn’t be opposed to that.

“We don’t want to move kids who have been in the school for a very long period of time,” Lemon said.

Other concerns revolved around transportation, specifically bus rides that could be between 60 to 75 minutes long.

“I don’t want my kids on a bus for at least an hour, if not longer. So I’ll probably end up driving them, which means I’ll be driving through Brunswick Forest every morning and trying to merge on 17,” said Donovan.

Lemon says bus ride times will also be a factor in his decision.

The maps will be presented to the board Tuesday, and there will be an extended public comment period during the board’s January 7 meeting before the board votes.