On Nov. 28, the Jefferson County Board of Education reviewed the proposed recommendation for redistricting throughout Jefferson County.

The proposed plan aims to bring students to schools growing at slower rates within the county, in order to implement a more balanced learning environment from building to building.

“Our highest priorities are student safety and achievement,” said Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson, Jefferson County Schools superintendent. “We believe that relieving overcrowded schools and distributing our resources more evenly is in the best interest of all students. This will also allow us to continue to provide high quality educational services at a time when our student enrollment is growing and state funding is being cut drastically.”

Public review of the plan will continue throughout December with public forums on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. at Wildwood Middle School and Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at T.A. Lowery Elementary School. During this time, Jefferson County Schools encourages opportunities for public comment and feedback online at jcsvideoserv.net/ growth_2.html.

If the current proposal is approved by the Board of Education, 341 elementary schoolers, 210 middle schoolers and 279 high school students would move to different locations. A majority of the redistribution would come from the schools located in the center of the county, to schools on the outer boundaries of the county.

The goal is to have each school under 85 percent capacity in order to properly forecast future growth.

The revised plan will be presented to the board for approval on Jan. 9, 2017 for implementation during the 2017-2018 school year.

To learn more about the proposed policies and changes visit boe.jeff.k12.wv.us to review the current proposal.