School board has rezoning to consider

The Columbia County school board will have a full agenda Tuesday.

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Chairwoman Regina Buccafusco said the board likely will give final approval to Superintendent Charles Nagle's recommendation for a rezoning plan for the school system's middle schools. She also expects the board to revisit the naming of the new high school that is opening on Chamblin Road in 2009.

The board gave tentative approval to the name Grovetown High School at its last meeting.

"I've gotten a lot of feedback on the name of the high school, and none of it is positive," Buccafusco said.

She said comments from residents include complaints that the name "suggests a lack of progress."

Vice Chairwoman Roxanne Whitaker said she would continue to support the school's name "unless somebody could give me some good reasons not to.

"I just feel like this is the last opportunity that Grovetown would have to get their own high school," she said.

Board member Mike Sleeper, who abstained from the 4-0 vote Jan. 8 to give tentative approval to the name, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Buccafusco said the board should be prepared to make a final decision about rezoning because it also has received ample community input concerning the plan.

"We've been working on this for three years now looking at everything, and it's not a hasty decision," she said.

Administrators have held two public hearings to present the rezoning plan and they have fielded phone calls and e-mails from parents, Buccafusco said.

The school system is rezoning its middle school boundaries in preparation for the opening of the county's eighth middle school, Stallings Island, in August. More than 1,100 pupils will be affected.

The primary change to the rezoning plan as it originally was presented in December has been the rezoning of about 50 pupils, who live between Louisville and Appling Harlem roads, to Harlem Middle School.

Whitaker said about 20 people have contacted her about this change.

"The biggest concern is there's only just a small group going," she said.

Harlem Middle Principal Carla Shelton said the school will hold orientation for new pupils and their families Feb. 28.

The board meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the central office, 4781 Hereford Farm Road, in Evans.