School rezoning plan is revised

Columbia County school system administrators presented a revised high school rezoning plan to about 50 people during a public hearing Thursday at Greenbrier High School.

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The changes, which resulted from parental input after the first hearing March 20, could affect high school and middle school zones for the 2009-10 school year.

The schools are being rezoned to prepare for the opening of Grovetown High School on Chamblin Road in 2009.

The revised option would rezone the area on William Few Parkway south of Magnolia Drive to Columbia Road from Greenbrier to Grovetown High. The power line right-of-way would serve as the boundary. The original proposal drew these boundaries from Magnolia Court to Columbia Road.

In another change, the proposal includes two options for rezoning pupils from Greenbrier Middle to Harlem Middle.

In the first option, pupils who live along Columbia Road between Appling-Harlem Highway and Louisville Road would go to Harlem Middle.

The second option would relocate pupils living in the areas north of Interstate 20 to Cobbham Road, including Scotts Ferry Road to Yelton Road and Tubman Road to Kiokee Creek, from Greenbrier Middle to Harlem Middle. This plan also would send pupils in the area north of Cobbham Road west of Ray Owens Road, including Tom Bartles Road and Mistletoe, from Greenbrier to Harlem Middle.

Robbie Jarrell, the assistant superintendent of student support, said the new plan would eliminate sending pupils from Greenbrier Middle to Harlem High School. He said the board could approve one or both of the options.

Many of the parents at the hearing studied maps of the proposed zones before the presentation and stayed to talk with administrators afterward.

Appling resident Dorothy Shanks, a bus driver for the Columbia County school system, has a son at North Columbia Elementary. She said the proposal would rezone her home from Greenbrier to Harlem High.

"I'm a Harlem graduate myself, so I think it will be a good thing," she said.

Danny Tiedeman, of Appling, said he has two children in elementary school.

"I guess I'm not really too happy with it, because I built on one side of Louisville Road to go to Greenbrier. Now they're going to be going to Grovetown High School," he said.

Superintendent Charles Nagle said that because of the county's fast growth, there was only one way parents could ensure their children would attend a specific school.

"If you want to know the safest area to build a house to stay in the zone, it's right on top of the school," he said.

Maps and narratives of the proposed zones are available at www.ccboe.net. Parents also can e-mail administrators at zoning@ccboe.net or call the office at (706) 541-0650.

The board is expected to approve the final rezoning plan at its April 22 meeting.