Hamilton County Schools rezoning stirs objections without easy answers

Frustration was evident Tuesday when Hamilton County Schools officials revealed rezoning proposals designed to reduce crowding at East Hamilton Middle/High School and some elementary schools in that area.

What promoted the rezoning is obvious: Population in areas around the schools is growing, and the schools can't accommodate everyone who wants to attend. Capacity at East Hamilton, for instance, is 1,650 students. Attendance at East Hamilton, however, is 2,000 students.

The causes of parental frustration Tuesday were understandable. Solutions that don't involve moving students around were less apparent.

Here are the key issues raised by upset residents whose children may have to go to schools other than the ones they expected to attend:

Loss of stability. The rezoning means many students who have already begun attending a particular school would have to go to a different one. Technically, the proposal provides a grandfather clause so students can stay at their current school if they wish. But because they would have to find their own transportation, many children won't be able to take advantage of that option.

Longer transportation times. Parents noted that their children would in some cases have far longer rides to their new schools.

Threat to property values. Property values tend to be greater in areas zoned for schools with good test scores and high achievement. Rezoning an area so that its children go to schools with lower achievement can affect values.

There is no clear solution to those concerns. Some tweaks may make the plan less disruptive. But schools built for certain numbers of students cannot vastly exceed capacity without affecting the quality of education.

Unsettling as it may be, the fact that a neighborhood is zoned for a given school one year is no guarantee it will remain in that zone. It is not dishonest if, say, a real estate agent highlights good schools for which a home is zoned, but that doesn't mean zones can't change.

As with many things in life, the best advice for parents contemplating moving to an area on the basis of its school zone is, buyer beware.

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