One Last Chance for Redistricting Comments

By Amber Lester Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The Williamsburg-James City County School Board has delayed its vote on redistricting until April 20 to give the public time to comment on its newest plans.

The board was originally scheduled to vote on its redistricting option at its April 13 meeting, but has now allotted 45 minutes of time for citizens to offer comments on its most recent maps. WJCC’s elementary and middle schools are being redistricted in anticipation of the opening of J. Blaine Blayton Elementary School and Lois Hornsby Middle School in the fall.

Board Chair James Nickols said the board wanted to give the community a chance to be heard. Parents have criticized the board’s most recent redistricting plan, based on options drafted by member Joe Fuentes. Fuentes used math models to create three options based on a map created by vendor EDULOG following a Feb. 9 work session.

Fuentes shared his options with the board, which then chose option 1a at its March 25 work session. At the time, Fuentes’ options had not been seen by school administration or the public. Read more about the plan here. View the map based on Fuentes’ option here.

“We wanted to give people an opportunity to speak on the 13th and then we’ll reflect on the maps,” Nickols said. “I didn’t want to have people speaking to the issue and then we turn around and immediately vote on the redistricting maps.”

The board has to vote on the redistricting plan this month in order to give enough time for the Operations staff to plan bus routes, which takes about six months. Teachers and staff members will also need to be shuffled around the division to accommodate the changes, Nickols said.

The board will have its regular meeting, with extended time for citizen’s comments, at 7 p.m. on April 13 at the Stryker Building in Williamsburg. The board will vote on its redistricting plan at a special meeting at 7 p.m. on April 20, before transitioning into a work session.