parent power  By Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary 

Redistricting Ignites Emotions 

Q It looks like my child is going to have to change schools next year because of boundary changes being made as a result of new schools opening in our county. This is very upsetting to our child and us. Do parents have any say in these decisions?

A School redistricting is one of, if not the most, emotionally charged decisions that local school boards must make. Over a 39-year career, I’ve attended many redistricting hearings, wondering if I might need a bodyguard to get out of the auditorium.
Most of our communities establish committees that meet to define the attendance zone for a new school or to redefine attendance zones for schools that are crowded in one area of the district but not in another. The draft plan from the committee is shared with the affected communities and an opportunity for further input is provided through public meetings.
Once a recommendation is sent to the full board by the committee, another public hearing may be held by the board before taking final action.
These important decisions need to be made to address present and future facility needs. There are numerous opportunities for your input, but change must occur. Ultimately you want to be assured that the quality education your child receives at one school is available at the new site.

Q My family moved to the Richmond area last summer. We were surprised to discover when we registered our children for school that the opening date is after Labor Day. Is this a decision of our local school board?

A Your local school board does approve the division’s calendar for the year, but it is limited by a bill we affectionately call the “Kings Dominion” bill. The bill restricts local school boards from approving calendars that open schools before Labor Day without a waiver from the State Board of Education. (The waiver is primarily a function of the number of days lost from school each year because of inclement weather.)
A bill to eliminate this mandate is usually introduced in the General Assembly each year but never passes because of the heavy lobbying by the tourism industry that depends on the high-school labor force and on vacation dollars.
There’s no educational reason to start school after Labor Day. In fact, the more important question may be why Virginia law only requires a 180-day school year regardless of the starting date.

Jo Lynne DeMary was superintendent of public instruction for Virginia and is currently director of the Center for School Improvement at VCU. She believes that parents empowered by knowledge are the best partners in their children’s education.

Archives