FAQ

What is the timeline for implementing the changes to boundaries that the board adopts? 
Any changes will go into effect at the beginning of next school year: Fall of 2022.

Are all boundaries being evaluated, or only specific ones?
All boundaries have the potential to be adjusted. We will be looking at this from a District-wide lens, K-12. 

Why now?
This process is in accordance with Board of Education Policy JC, which states that the district “shall do a formal review of the geographic attendance areas designated for each school in the district at a minimum of every three years, or as deemed necessary by the Board of Education or Superintendent.”

Will grandfathering existing students (to remain at their current school) be considered?
The Board of Education has voted to allow all incoming 5th, 8th, 11th, and 12th grade students to remain at their current building.

What is the goal of this process? What are some of the factors that will be taken into consideration when looking at redistricting?
The goal of this process is to adjust boundary lines in such a way that it leads to optimal utilization at each facility, while still considering the following criteria (from Board of Education Policy JC: School Attendance Areas):

• Minimize disruption of student’s established learning programs.
• Keep siblings in the same elementary, middle or high school, whenever possible.
• Provide an overall balance of student enrollment related to facility size, taking into account future growth patterns.
• Provide a reasonably balanced socio-economic relationship in all schools.
• Provide the most cost effective, efficient and feasible means for student transportation, taking into account travel time.
• Keep neighborhoods in the same attendance area, whenever possible.
• Maintain patterns so that elementary/middle/high school attendance areas stay with the same cohort as they progress through school levels, whenever possible.
• Follow natural boundaries and utilize existing physical boundaries such as major roadways or other geographical features to delineate boundaries, whenever possible.

What is the time frame that the possible attendance area change decision will be made?
According to our current timeline, the Board of Education will be voting at their regularly scheduled meeting in February of 2022.

When will this go into effect? Will there be a public forum at some point?
Any attendance area changes associated with this process will go into effect in the Fall of 2022. Community forums will be held mid-November. We will host in-person meetings, where community members can speak to committee members, District staff, and the consultant, and learn more about the process and the attendance area options. If you are unable to attend these meetings, an online presentation and survey will be available for you to provide feedback. Even if you are not impacted by any option, we encourage you to still complete a survey. The more feedback that the committee receives, the more informed they will be when crafting a recommendation.

How will you handle the push back from parents that don’t want their boundary lines to change?
We recognize that this is not an easy process for families. As a committee, we will be reviewing any proposed changes from as many angles as possible, and reviewing all feedback that we receive. Due to under-utilization and over-utilization at certain facilities, some families will have to change schools. That is the nature of this process, and not everyone will be happy with the result. Some students are going to have to change schools in order to create that balance that we are looking for. The committee is expected to remain objective throughout the process and consider the needs of the district as a whole, rather than just their neighborhood, community, or school. Any decision that is made will be vetted through the committee, the consultant, the District, and the Board of Education. Although push back can be expected from families who are upset about a change that impacts them, it is important to note that all Jefferson City Schools are great schools, and your child will receive a quality education regardless of which JC School they attend.

Will each school and area of the community have representation on the Boundary Advisory Committee?
Committee selections were based both on school affiliation and geographic location of the applicant’s residence. Every school has parent representation, to the extent that applications allowed. Along with this, we have a few staff members, as well as at-large committee members who have no current school affiliation.

What are the expected deliverables from this committee? How are committee recommendations implemented by the school board?
The committee is charged with over-seeing all work related to this process. The committee will be creating boundary options, going through feedback, and eventually determining a recommendation. There will be community meetings mid-November where the committee and the consultant will present the options and provide opportunities, both in person and online, for community feedback. This feedback will be used by the committee to craft the recommendation. The committee’s recommendation will then go to the Superintendent for review, and if he feels that it is acceptable, he will bring it to the School Board for final approval. Once a plan is approved, the District will work to ensure that notice is sent to those whose boundaries are changing, bus routes are updated, and staffing accommodations are made. 

Will new census data be used to determine population size? Is census data used in other ways to inform the process?
We will be using student addresses to inform individual school population size. We use this information, rather than Census data, because it is a more accurate measure of what a student population will be in future years. That being said, we will look at 2020 Census data to inform us about the demographics of areas within the District.