Some students from East Ridge High, Hixson High and East Ridge Middle schools will attend different schools in the fall because the Hamilton County Board of Education has approved a rezoning plan.
The plan moves East Ridge High students living north of Interstate 24 and Hixson High students living south of the Tennessee River to Brainerd High School. It also moves East Ridge Middle students living north of I-24 to Dalewood Middle School.
Around 192 high schoolers may be affected -- 148 from East Ridge High and 44 from Hixson High. Roughly 127 students attending East Ridge Middle will also be affected under the plan approved Thursday.
Students have the option to stay at their school of origin for one calendar year but must arrange for their own transportation.
Board member Karitsa Jones, D-Chattanooga, said Thursday this has left families unable to provide transportation feeling "forced."
"Some of the community felt like the students were being forced to attend their zone schools because they weren't given the option of a grandfathering in their junior or senior year," Jones said.
Still, the vote passed unanimously.
The rezoning is an effort by the district to relieve overcrowding as both East Ridge High and East Ridge Middle are over 100% capacity, while Brainerd High and Dalewood Middle have room to spare.
Once in effect, East Ridge High's utilization is projected to fall from 101% to 86%, and Brainerd High's is expected to increase from 59% to 80%.
Hixson High is at 81% capacity and is expected to decrease to 77%.
East Ridge Middle's utilization is also expected to decrease from 103% to 85%, and Dalewood Middle's utilization will increase from 39% to 58%.
School officials discussed the overcrowding issues during a November retreat held by the school board.
"The conversation today is really a first step into looking at some areas that we've got some work to do in terms of utilization, overcrowding just some long-term planning," Superintendent Justin Robertson told board members in November.
In October, the school board approved the long-awaited purchase of the former Cigna Corp. facility at 7555 Goodwin Road as part of the solution to what Robertson called "the East Brainerd Road conundrum."
The purchase included about 19 acres and a 100,000-square-foot building that officials will transform into a new school to free up space at East Brainerd Elementary, which sits across the street. It will have the capacity for 750 students.
But Robertson said the Cigna building is just a Band-Aid on a much larger problem.
"(Cigna) is a temporary solution that will give us some relief, most likely in about two years," Robertson said at the November retreat.
Since the retreat, district officials have sought community input on the plan and held a public meeting in January to allow the public to weigh in.
Discussion centered around how it might change the racial demographics of the affected schools.
The Rev. Jeffrey Wilson of New United Missionary Baptist Church and graduate of Brainerd High, asked about how it will affect the racial makeup of the schools.
"Brainerd High, who would be the demographic?" Wilson asked at the January meeting. "Hixson, they didn't want those kids, made them leave. ... What will Brainerd look like next year?"
Officials said that they would have a better idea once the school-of-choice application window closed Feb. 7, as some families may opt to attend a different school entirely.
Families will have until March 17 to decide if they will stay at their school. The changes will go into effect this fall.
Contact Carmen Nesbitt at cnesbitt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.