The Seminole County School Board will have a very important meeting on February 25 to vote on rezoning. Students will have to be shifted around because of overcrowding at many elementary schools.
At the meeting on Monday, board members will vote on a plan. The board could vote to do away with the Northwest Cluster (a cluster of schools that includes Bentley, Wilson, Wicklow, Crystal Lake, and Idyllwilde). This would take away school choice altogether. The favored plan is to keep the cluster and divide it into two regions. Currently, students in the cluster can attend any school within the cluster.
Of course, any time rezoning comes up in any district, there will be controversy. Many parents do not want rezoning because their children will have to change schools. This can be both inconvenient and traumatic for students.
However, some of the controversy is due to issues of race and class. The district is supposed to maintain a racial and economic balance due to a federal order and an agreement with the federal government. However, it doesn't look like the plans are really addressing this issue at all. The more affluent schools such as Heathrow and Wilson will remain lily white. (It seems that some of the parents at these schools are concerned that there could be a negative impact on property values if color is added to the campus). Often, schools in more affluent neighborhoods have better resources and more experienced teachers. Shouldn't all students have access to the best?
The rezoning issue also affects black students because the students who live in the predominately black (and not so affluent) neighborhoods (Lincoln Heights, Academy Manor, Lockhart and Goldsboro) that are attending Idllywilde Elementary could be forced to change schools, depending on which plan is chosen. It would certainly not be fair to put all of the burden and inconvenience on this group.
Regardless of which plan we favor, we need to get out to the meeting to let the Board know we care about and support our children. We need to make sure that the burden of rezoning is equally shared and that all of the students have access to a top quality education. Then we need to keep showing up and participating to make sure that no matter what school they attend, all of our children will excel.
The meeting will be held on Monday, February 25 at Seminole County Public Schools (400 E. Lake Mary Blvd) at 5:30 p.m.
