Alternatives to redistricting for Union County Public Schools

http://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/

The proposed redistricting of several schools under the Union County Public Schools umbrella is still a hot topic. Yesterday's Union County Weekly featured three news stories that covered the issue from different angles.

Redistricting has been proposed by the school board and administrators as a solution to elevated enrollment rates, especially in the western part of the county. But that solution has been vehemently opposed by many parent and community groups that feel their children would be sent from high performing schools to their lower performing counterparts - and that their real estate values could also decrease.

Residents have organized, forming committees that have proposed several alternatives to redistricting, including:

* Restructuring some elementary schools with lower student populations to shift sixth grade students to upper elementary schools from the middle schools.
* Providing school choice and magnet school programs.
* Building small school facilities in the Cuthbertson and Hemby Bridge areas that would cost an estimated $44 million, a fraction of the expected $100 million cost to build larger schools, according to one group.
* Home address-based caps, which would allow students to attend their current school while all new home addresses would be assigned and bused to schools further away.

Finally, the Union County commissioners have offered $3 million to fund mobile classrooms as another way to avoid or postpone redistricting.

The redistricting issue comes on the heels of a massive lawsuit against the county government, which was court ordered to pay the schools $91 million. UCPS says that the county did not adequately fund the school district for the current school year. The county is appealing the judgment, and in the meantime has released $9.6 million to fix school roofs.

In terms of long-range planning, some believe hiking county taxes is necessary to alleviate burdens on overcrowded schools through building new facilities, making improvements to existing facilities or implementing other alternatives to redistricting. Union County has historically benefited from a lower tax base than neighboring Mecklenburg County, and raising taxes is likely an unpopular option. Some feel that it's premature to discuss tax increases, but Indian Trail Councilman Chris King expresses his view:

"As a result of low taxation (in Union County), you get over-development. When that happens, you get what we have right now with overcrowded schools. The county has basically become a victim of its own success... I hate raising taxes, I would consider every alternative before raising taxes, but I do feel at some point there is going to have to be a tax increase."

The next UCPS board meeting, which may address redistricting again and proposed alternatives, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 18 at 4 pm at the UCPS Professional Development Center at 721 Brewer Drive in Monroe, NC. According to the board, the meeting will be held live via the Internet, and they will publish the web address for public viewing prior to the meeting on its web site and its Facebook page.

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For more information, see the articles in recent issues of Union County Weekly:

Would voters support a tax hike to avoid redistricting? (2/14/14)
Community members formulate alternative to redistricting (2/14/14)
Weddington town leaders discuss NCDOT, UCPS at retreat (2/14/14)
Towns stand against redistricting (2/6/14)
School board discusses all overcrowing options (1/30/14)