Unlike many residents happy with the status quo, some residents of the Church Run subdivision in western Henrico County hope their children will change schools as part of a massive redistricting effort under way.
They see it as a way to right a wrong. Now, their children are separated from friends in nearby neighborhoods, and elementary and high school students are bused north of Broad Street when several schools are closer to homes near Three Chopt and Church roads.
"We're really concerned about feeder patterns and not being bused so far away from the neighborhood," said Amy Fontana, a Church Run resident.
"Clearly, this is near and dear to people's hearts," said her neighbor Amy Hollister.
More than a dozen Church Run residents joined about 750 Henrico residents at Hermitage High School yesterday evening to pore over maps and proposed boundary lines in the county's largest redistricting effort in history. It was the first of three meetings this week.
Henrico will open a new high school on Staples Mill Road and a new middle school off Nuckols Road in 2010.
A redistricting committee -- divided into subcommittees for various school levels -- has worked since October to prepare four elementary, five middle and three high school proposals. Large maps were on display, and residents crowded for a closer look.
"I think it's terrific that they're involving the community this time around," said Paul Mancini, a western Henrico resident. "It's also great they've brought in outside help and can draw on that experience."
Henrico school officials and committee members stressed that options displayed on the schools' Web site and at last night's meeting are works in progress and not final.
"We're not even halfway through the process," said Matthew Cropper of Cropper GIS, the Ohio firm hired to facilitate the redistricting. "We still have a good amount of work to be done."
Residents could not speak publicly last night; they filled out questionnaires that Cropper GIS staff will read and convert into information that the 70-member redistricting committee will consider as it refines the proposals.
Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or lcrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.
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