Dublin schools unveils first redistricting proposals

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- Changes are coming for some students in Dublin. Next school year, they could find themselves at a new school as the district looks to create new boundaries. 

Since May, the school district has been working with Cropper GIS, a central Ohio-based consultant specializing in school planning, to prepare options to share with the public for school boundary redistricting. Monday night was the first time those draft maps were revealed. 

According to Cropper CIS President Matthew Cropper, the redistricting is driven by the need to create a boundary for the new Bishop Elementary School that will open next fall in the northwestern part of the district.  

"It is something that's just a natural necessity with public school administration and that the public schools have to do what's best to serve all students and their district and to make sure that that the schools are equitable and there's available space," Cropper said. 

Cropper said the goal is to provide relief to other schools in the area that are overcrowded.  

"Abraham Depp Elementary, the school in the farthest north of the district, is currently operating over 124% of their capacity," Cropper said. 

This comes after voters narrowly passed a bond issue last year to build the new school, and as the district is getting ready to expand its already existing Dublin Scioto High School. 

"It's one of the faster growing areas in the whole region," Cropper said. "And there's just ongoing housing construction occurring and homes are continuing to be built and slated for construction, so the district has to address that need." 

According to district data, Depp, Deer Run and Pinney elementary schools and Karrer Middle School are over capacity.  

Liz Pedroza has three children who attend Depp that will be impacted. She said she understands the need for redistricting, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

"It's hard," Pedroza said. "My kids are a wreck, which I knew they would be." 

The draft plan would move close to 1,400 students, bringing those schools below capacity. Cropper said they understand redistricting is an emotional process; unfortunately, this may just be the beginning. 

"The kids obviously hear all the rumors and they talk amongst themselves and they're having a very hard time processing it," Pedroza said.  

"If the growth continues at the rate that it has, this isn't going to be the end of challenges that the district is facing as it relates to school utilization," Cropper said. 

"If this is just a temporary fix, it feels a little hard," Pedroza said. "I know they're diverting all this attention and funds and everything to the numbers side of things, I wish they were addressing the emotional side of things for the kids a little bit too." 

Cropper said hundreds of parents attended Monday night's meeting. He said constructive input is important to them throughout the process. 

"Maybe we're cutting off the end of a street somewhere, or if there may be some inefficiency in our option where an adjustment could be made to bring us closer to adhering to our criteria and our objectives, those are the things that we're really looking to capture and potentially make changes to these boundaries," Cropper said. 

The district has the draft plan and data online which you can find by clicking here. 

There is also a survey where parents can provide feedback to project leaders on the redistricting plan. That survey runs through Sunday, Nov. 3, and can be found by clicking here.