School Redistricting

Hello Lenoir County from education reporter Chris Lavender or as some people now call me Lil’ Lavender

Welcome back for another discussion on Lenoir County Schools redistricting study. The school board is expected to vote if the study should continue on how to redraw students’ attendance lines. I’ts about 6:40 p.m. now. The meeting will begin at about 7 p.m. Several members from the public are expected to speak their minds tonight on how they feel about the issue. Check back soon when the meeting is underway.

Redistricting committee chairman Mike Moseley had requested that Superintendent Terry Cline bring the issue back before the school board for their consideration. This will be the first time that school board members have formally discussed the study since the process began last October.

During a January meeting, the school board declined to take public comments from several people because the redistricting committee had not yet presented a recommendation to the board. Nearly 50 people have streamed into the central office so far.

7 p.m. - Redistricting committee chairman Mike Moseley just arrived and he has joined me on the back row. The meeting is about to start. The board members will first discuss its financial report, school construction project updates and general policy updates before taking on the redistricting study issue. As soon as they begin to discuss the study I will begin to let you know what’s going on.

7:03 p.m. - school board is about to take public comments on the redistricting study. Each person will have about three minutes to address the school board

7:09 p.m. -Frank White is speaking to the school board now. No compelliing reason to continue study at this time, he said. White has two children that attend North Lenoir High School. Lenoir County Schools seen decrease in population. School board should begin dialogue when population begins to grow. The timeline for redistricting is too agressive, he said.

7:13 p.m.- Tony Turner is now speaking. He is a member of the redistricting committee. Turner said there is no valid reason to continue the study. There are no schools over capacity, he said. Lenoir County not seen population increase like other counties including Wake, Pitt and New Hanover Counties. County wide redistricting will not be beneficial to the financial bottom line.

7:15 p.m. - Ruth Hollowell is now speaking. She thanked the board for moving the public comment to the beginning of the meeting. She made no comments on the study.

7:16 p.m. Rudy Mintz is now speaking. Lived in Kinston since 1973. Both children went to Kinston High. Said seems like good time for redistricting but don’t need to change all the lines. Shouldn’t be afraid of change, he said. Want to be seen as socially progressive and is now thanking Cline for his efforts. “He is a patient and kind man,” Mintz said. “He is going to do the right thing for the children.”

7:20 p.m. - Suzanne Nix is now speaking. She is also a member of the redistricting committee. “Redistricting is a must for Lenoir County,” she said. “Current board must support the continuation of the study.”

7:21 p.m. - David Hodges is now speaking. I am not from Lenoir County the main reason moved where we lived based on schools child will be attending in area. The schools are not equal. Dont have permission to bus child from low to high performing school. “All schools are not created in Lenoir County,” he said. “It’s a shame that physical plant arent up to par at some of the schools.” Redistrict or not, children need to go to safe schools.

Public comments have concluded. The school board will decide soon about the study. Discussion continues about financial report, school construction updates and policy updates.

School board member Garland Nobles Jr. is not present for tonight’s meeting. Check back soon for the board’s discussion and vote on the study.

90 people have turned out tonight for the meeting. Officials had planned to hold the meeting at Northwest Elementary School if necessary. Officials decided to hold the meeting as scheduled at the central office.

It’s now 7:50 p.m. - the school board is discussing how and when the adminstration is required to turn over requested public information to a board member. During the Feb. board meeting, a school board member - Billy Davis - requested Cline to turn over public information within five days. Several school board members including Keith Seaforth said the request was not realistic because of the amount of documents requested to be produced in just five days. 

“Been on this board for six years never been an issue,” school board chairman said. “We will rely on superintendent on what is reasonable.”

“Obvious there is some disharmony on this board,” Seaforth said. “So if they want information give superintendent time to get information.”

School board member Joey Bryan doesn’t feel the same as Seaforth and the chairman. He said board shouldnt be rigid in its policies to provide information to members.

8 p.m. - School board will soon begin discussion on redistricting study.

Cline is introducing consultant Jeff Tsai to the school board. Tsai will update the board members on the redistricting study’s work. Several slides are being presented.

“This project is not easy,” Tsai said.

8:10 p.m. - School district divided into 134 planning zones, Tsai said. the zones are based on where students live. Using mathematical scenarios to develop attendance lines based on student’s travel distance to schools and satisfy capacity constraints of schools.

8:15 p.m. - Tsai is now discussing committee’s desires on capacities for elementary schools to average 86 percent, middle school capacities between 74 to 94 percent and high schools from 71 to 81 percent utlization rates.

Committee members examined several maps to see where to draw lines and offered revisions for Tsai to work on.

Moseley is now addressing the school board. “It’s important process for the students of this county,” he said. “I stand ready to continue this effort.”

Met with citizens on both sides of issue it has strengthened the process, Moseley said. “There has been some confusion across the county on (the redistricting study,” he said. “We have not formed any recommendations.”

“it’s been a controversial issue,” Moseley said. “I don’t want to see this issue tear this county apart. It’s important to reach win-win solutions.”

8:30 p.m. - Moseley continues to speak. He said before committing to more work he wants to make sure school board is behind the effort.

Rita Hodges is now speaking, she is a school board member. I wonder if we need to look at closing another elementary school that would save money. The space is available at other schools to absorb student populations.

She said former school board members have approached her about 1992 merger. “It was a very troubled time,” Hodges said. “Order issued by judge that boundaries not change (then)”

School board member Keith Seaforth is now talking about merger. Said he doesn’t remember if stipulations were made that lines not be redrawn during merger.

8:40 p.m. - Seaforth said he has read most about how lines could be redrawn for the high schools. School board member Bruce Hill is asking Tsai about utlization figures and is asking about the merger.

 ”Since I have been on this board there has been discussion on attendance lines, ” Hill said. “It needs to be on the table for discussion.”

School board attorney said redistricting issue came up at least nearly five years ago when a school was closed.

The school board chairman is now speaking. There is no legal prohibition from county looking at lines, the chairman said.

“I voted against this study being done, ” the chairman said. “We are opening three new schools. Redistricting is an unpleasant subject. There are times we have to look at it.”

The chairman said the problem I see is we don’t have capacity issues at middle and high schools. Sitting in on the meetings see where it is going. All the committee is doing is shifting capacity numbers on high school level doesn’t make sense to me.

Growth may dictate we do this again with Spirit and Sanderson. The chairman said there is no reason to do study any futher.

“I would like to see issue tabled,” chairman said.

8:50 p.m. - Bruce Hill asking why students are traveling far distances to schools while bypassing schools closer to their home. The chairman said the study will not change the proximity issue.

Hill said he stayed away from committee meetings not to form an opinion and wants to stay unbias about the plan.

“I did not create this monster,” Moseley said. “If I am going to take shots, I want to at least know the board of education is behind the study.”

Moseley said he thinks the study needs to be continued.

“To stop the process at this point I think we are losing out on an opportunity,” Moseley said.

Seaforth said since Nobles not at meeting I don’t think this is the time to vote on this. Seaforth said he wasn’t aware issue was on the agenda for tonight and said he just found out about it on Friday night.

9 p.m. - Cline said if the school board doesn’t vote will throw timetable off. Will not be ready for next year.

“We just need direction from the board,” Cline said. “We need that direction tonight.”

School board member Joey Bryan said elementary schools need to have something done. He said there are flaws in the current lines for elementary schools.

Redrawing lines for elementary schools would save $330,000 on transporation costs annually, Bryan said.

Hodges made a motion for the committee just to look at redrawing the elementary school lines, seconded by Billy Davis.

Hill said the committee should look at the whole picture, including middle and high schools.

9:10 p.m. - motion carried unaimously by the school board  to continue to look at redistricting elementary schools only.

Seaforth made a motion for the committee to look at continuing to look at middle and high schools. the motion was not passed with a 3-3 tie.

Seaforth, Hill and Bryan voted to continue evaluating the middle and high schools while Hodges, Davis and Fillippeli voted against looking at the middle and high schools.

“The charge now is to bring us something on the elementary schools, ” school board chairman Fillipeli said.

The school board attorney said the board members could revisit the issue about middle and high schools at a future meeting.

The discussion on the redistricting study is now over. To see more about this story read the Tuesday edition of The Free Press.

Bye for now, good night. Chris Lavender

Hello Lenoir County. Welcome to another discussion on Lenoir County Schools redistricting study.

Lenoir County Board of Education member Rita Hodges will meet with the public to discuss Lenoir County Schools redistricting efforts. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Here is some background information on the redistricting committee.

Sept. 2, 2008 - Lenoir County Board of Education votes to proceed with a redistricting study.

Oct. 20, 2008 - Redistricting committee meets for the first time at central office. Both objectives and the scope of the project are discussed.

Nov. 12, 2008 - Redistricting committee meets again to discuss the history on the organization of Lenoir County Schools.

Dec. 10, 2008 - Redistricting committee meets again to develop maps for elementary, middle and high schools.

Jan. 30, 2009 - Redistricting committee continues to examine how to redraw attendance lines for students.

Feb. 18, 2009 - Mike Moseley, redistricting committee chairman, informs committee that he asked Superintendent Terry Cline to bring study back before school board on March 2 for their consideration.

March 2 - Lenoir County Board of Education scheduled to decide if committee should continue to study redistricing issue.

Nearly 40 people are in attendance for tonight’s question and answer session with school board member Rita Hodges. School board member Billy Davis is also here tonight.

7:30 p.m. The meeting has started C.L. Braxton is introducting Hodges to the audience. Braxton serves on the redistricting committee.

7:35 p.m. - Hodges is addressing the crowd. Wants to make sure public’s points are expressed at March 2 meeting, she said. “It’s a volatile situation,” Hodges said. “Great misconception out there ( about study), I think there is a significant group of people inside Kinston that believe redistricting will equalize demographics at all the schools,” she said.

7:38 p.m. -Davis is now talking to the audience. Committee has never said what is best for children for Lenoir County, Davis said. Best thing for child is for child to go to closest school to him or her, Davis said.

7:40 p.m. - Audience member asking about Northwest, Bynum and Southeast Schools. Students are leap frogging over Rochelle Middle into Frink and then to North Lenoir High. Adminstration is totally blind to what is happening, audience member said.

7:50 p.m. - C. L. Braxton now talking about Rochelle. Several parents really involed in education pulled children out of Rochelle Middle in past because not satisfied with school. “I remember when that happened,” Braxton said.

7:51 p.m.- Hodges said a school two years in a row that doesn’t meet growth goals labeled low performing school. Lenoir County never had low performing status schools until two years ago until Bynum and Kinston High now Southeast is labeled low performing, Hodges said. She added something needs to be done to correct problems.

7:52 p.m.- Hodges asked about March 2 meeting. Decision whether to continue study cannot be made in closed session, she said.

7:55 p.m. - Braxton said a problem with redistricting study is that the committee members are not allowed to discuss freely what is going on only allowed to review maps provided by consultant Jeff Tsai.

8 p.m.- Audience member said there are too many people absent from committee meetings who are assigned to attend. Claimed that nearly 30 people assigned to committee routinely do not show.

8:05 p.m. - Audience member said she doesn’t want to see board take a vote on redistricting because the capacity figures have not been accurate.

8:06 p.m. - Business owner downtown said he hears from public Kinston High has bad reputation. Heard there is a discipline problem at Kinston High School.

8:09 p.m. - Cannot accomplish a task this large in a couple of months, audience member said. “We feel like it’s being rammed down our throats,” she said.

8:15 p.m. - “All the redistricting commitee is trying to do is give Kinston (High School) numbers, that’s the bottom line,” Braxton said. “The study is flawed. It’s an attempt to get more population in city schools.”

8:20 p.m. - Audience member said that Davis and Hodges are “flies in the ointment” for other school board members. Alot of rubber stamping by other five school board members going on at board of education, he said.

8:30 p.m. - Questions about Lenoir County Schools deficit are asked. Hodges said the school district has mismanaged its funds. The deficit over two years reached about $5 million in the school district.

8:40 p.m. - More general discussion about student transfer policy. Audience member said students at Southeast Elementary should have been required to transfer to Teachers Memorial after students from Teachers go to new Northeast School. “Southeast is in a bad area,” Braxton said.

8:45 p.m. - Another redistricting committee member at tonight’s meeting, Suzanne Nix, said she disagrees with Braxton on one issue. The redistricting study is not an attempt to build up Kinston High School’s population, Nix said.

“People are getting upset about nothing,” she said. “Nothing has been decided.”

9 p.m. - Hodges is addressing the audience. Said she is glad to have the opportunity to meet with public tonight. Davis said not enough people in Lenoir County know what is going on with the redistricting study.

9:02 p.m. meeting is now over. have a good night.

The Lenoir County Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, March 2 at the central office. Bye for now, Chris Lavender The Free Press

Come back here at 7 p.m. for a live blog by Free Press Education Reporter Chris Lavender featuring Redistricting Committee Chairman Mike Moseley answering questions from the crowd.

6:45 p.m .. Nearly 50 people have showed up so far for tonight’s discussion on Lenoir County Schools redistricting efforts. Among those in attendance are Lenoir County Commissioner Linda Sutton and Lenoir County Board of Education member Billy Davis. Lenoir County redistricting committee chairman Mike Moseley will answer questions tonight from the public.

Hello Lenoir County!!!!

7 p.m. - The meeting has started now. Southwood Church member David Hodges is adressing the audience. Moseley is set to begin the discussion soon. Nearly 200 people have turned out for the meeting.

7:10 p.m. - Moseley said there are alot of different perceptions about what is happening with redistricting. Recognizes issue is very controversial and humbled to be elected as committee chairman.

7:13 p.m -Moseley said that the committee was asked to study redistricting issue for Lenoir County Schools. Committee is looking at what if scenarios based on data provided by N.C. State University Consultant Jeff Tsai. Committee is not at  a point to make any formal recommendations.

7:20 p.m. - Significant challenges in study include Neuse River as a natural barrier only have certain areas where you can cross the river. Locations of school sites optimal for city and county schools no longer optimal, building capacities for city and county are no longer optimal for combined system and new Northeast Elementary School may be underutilized when it opens in August, Moseley said.

Lenoir County Schools and Kinston City Schools merged in 1992, lines were never redrawn by district.

7:24 p.m. - Moseley wants to see students attend schools closest to their homes. Moseley said he feels compelled to bring about positive change to community. Whether study continues or not does not reside with advisory committee but with school board.

7:25 p.m. Question and Answer session has started. Joe Thompson asked how much has been spent and if capacity figures are accurate and when they will be provided. Moseley responded he didn’t know how much has been spent yet and that accurate capacities figures would be provided if committee meets again.

Moseley explained to the audience that he asked Superintendent Terry Cline during the last redistricting meeting to ask the current school board if the study should continue. The school board is scheduled to meet again on March 2.

7:35 p.m. Several questions posed regarding if the public can see proposed redistricing maps. Moseley responded there are no maps ready to view.

7:40 p.m. Question posed from audience member why not spend the fees on redistricting instead on improving current school programs. Several people asking questions have chosen not to identify themselves.

7:50 p.m. Ruth Hollowell stressed need to address transfer policy if redistricting is adopted. Moseley said school board has opportunity to look at transfer policy whether lines are redrawn or not.

8 p.m. Clay Howard former school board member from Pink Hill area asked why there are few people from Pink Hill on committee. Over 60 percent of committee attached to school system not a fair playing field, Howard said. Howard looked at committee list and did not find any Pink Hill residents. Moseley responded “I did not form the committee.”

8:05 p.m. - Two people just left the meeting, unidentified man said “Lets go we are wasting our time”

8:10 p.m. - Moseley still talking to audience. “At some point we are going to have to do something different than what we are doing now.” The chairman acknowledged potential growth coming from Sanderson Farms and Spirit AeroSystems in the coming years. Moseley said growth will likely be an issue in years to come as well.

8:13 p.m.- Previous school board asked committee to study redistricting but Moseley wants to find out what current school board wants committee to do now.

8:14 p.m.- Jeanne Grady said families are in limbo on what is happening during the redistricting study process.

8:20 p.m. - “Why the rush? Terry Cline wants this done by May. Packaged up with a bow on it by May,” audience member quips. Moseley said public hearings would be held before decision made by school board on redistricting.

8:30 p.m. - Moseley said he wants to reach consensus among committee members and not get into forced votes. “We are a community and we need to try and get on the same page,” Moseley said.

Ruth Hollowell said she has a problem with consensus vote in developing redistricting recommendation because not everyone is represented on the committee.

8:33 p.m. - Public questions will end in about 10 minutes.

8:34 p.m. Moseley said he plans to attend March 2 meeting but does not plan to speak. Cline will take committee’s request whether to continue study to the school board.

8:35 p.m. - Most of the audience has stayed for the entire meeting. Commissioner Linda Sutton just left the building.

8:40 p.m. - Clay Howard encouraged audience members to contact school board to voice opinions about redistricting process.

8:41 p.m. - C.L. Braxton serves on the redistricting committee. Braxton asked Moseley if he feels compelled to push redistricting. Moseley said he decided to not be very open about his position. He does think the issue should be studied. “There are some compelling reasons to study this.” Moseley said.

“Helpful to look at broader issues but that was not given to us,” Moseley said. 

The committee is not looking at school demographics during the first phase of the study.

8:49 p.m.- Audience member said redistricting issue should be resolved quickly. Lines should remain the same audience member said - audience applauds comment that lines should remain the same.

8:50 p.m. - Moseley making closing comments.

“We need to address this issue one way or another, “Moseley said. “I am hearing it is not one way or another. It’s a tough and challenging issue.”

“Have to take a honest look,” Moseley said. “Asking people to maintain an open mind.”

8:55 p.m. meeting is over, good night.