Elementary Redistricting Plans Moving Forward

The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) redistricting committee plans to present two comprehensive elementary school rezoning options to the Board of Education and Superintendent Kimberly Hill at the Board’s April 4 meeting.

Elementary school redistricting will create an attendance zone for a new elementary school, scheduled to open in September 2018 and located off Billingsley Road in White Plains. Additionally, it will expand the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School attendance zone and balance student enrollment across the county as needed at all other elementary schools. Dr. Mudd is scheduled to undergo a complete renovation and expansion, starting next school year.

The Board has scheduled two public hearings to allow residents to comment on the proposals. Public hearings on the committee’s proposals are set for 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 24, 2017, at Westlake High School and 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at St. Charles High School. CCPS will provide elementary school students’ parents with a fact sheet containing a synopsis of the proposals prior to the April 4 Board meeting.  Additional redistricting information is available at http://www.ccboe.com/redistricting.

The redistricting committee’s task was to develop and evaluate potential elementary school attendance zones for consideration by the Superintendent and Board. The Board selected the redistricting committee members at random from names of volunteers. Board policy requires the committee to submit two different proposals.

The following is the timeline for redistricting.

March 2017

·         Redistricting committee completes work and prepares report. CCPS staff will review and finalize the alternatives by the end of March.

·         In late March, CCPS will distribute the second of four redistricting fact sheets. This fact sheet will contain a synopsis of the redistricting committee’s two recommendations.

April 2017

·         The Board will receive a report on the committee’s recommendations at the April 4 meeting. The redistricting committee’s report will be available to the public. Public hearings on the redistricting alternatives are 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 24, 2017, at Westlake High School and 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at St. Charles High School.

May 2017

·         The Superintendent will present a redistricting recommendation to the Board at the May 9, 2017, meeting; CCPS will send a third fact sheet to parents. Tentatively, the Board has scheduled two public hearings to receive comment on the Superintendent's recommendation. Dates are Monday, May 15, 2017, and Monday May 22, 2017. Time and locations to be determined.

June 2017

·         The Board will take action on the Superintendent's recommendation. The Board is making the redistricting decision one year prior to the opening of Elementary 22 and two years before the reopening of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School in order to provide parents ample notice of the change. The communications office will prepare and distribute a final fact sheet with the Board’s decision.

August 27, 2018

·         Redistricting takes effect. Students affected by the elementary school redistricting move to their new schools starting with the 2018-19 school year. Students affected by redistricting involving Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School will move to the transition school starting with the 2018-19 school year and to the renovated building in the 2019-20 school year.

How will comments be received?

The Board of Education believes community input is essential to a successful redistricting.

There are several ways for residents to share ideas about the upcoming redistricting:

·         Email ideas and comments to redistrict@ccboe.com. Emails will be forwarded to all Board members.

·         Hold a neighborhood information meeting with Charles County Public Schools staff. If you have a smaller group, such as a community or neighborhood association, that would like to meet with staff members to learn more about the redistricting process, why it is needed or to provide ideas, please email Brad Snow, director of transportation and redistricting facilitator, at bsnow@ccboe.com.

·         Participate in public hearings.

Where to find redistricting information

There are a number of ways parents and the community can keep up-to-date on redistricting. CCPS continually posts information on the school system website at http://www.ccboe.com/redistricting, including time lines, meeting notices, publications and parent notifications, maps, fact sheets and more. Additionally, all parents receive four informational fact sheets – an introduction to redistricting, committee proposals, the Superintendent’s recommendation to the Board of Education and the accepted redistricting plan. Board meetings include updates on the process and are televised live and aired on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12. The meetings also stream live on the school system website at www.ccboe.com.