COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — As Central Ohio grows and more families move to the area, school districts need more classrooms.
To support current needs and projected growth, Dublin City Schools released a redistricting draft plan that could impact almost 1,400 students. The plan would go into effect next school year.
The district hosted a public session Monday night, and hundreds of parents attended.
“You get to know families, you get to know friends, and that kind of gets taken away from you,” said Kurt Mahlstedt.
Mahlstedt said the draft plan impacts two of his three kids.
“It’s hard for them because they’ve grown up with kids that are now getting split,” he said.
The decision to redistrict comes after voters narrowly passed a 2023 bond issue to build a new school, Bishop Elementary. Also, the superintendent said they need to address overcrowding in existing schools.
“With the amount of growth we’re having in the northwest portion of our district, we need to redistribute students, so we have enough chairs and seats for every kid to come in and have a balanced learning environment,” said Superintendent John Marschhausen.
Students at four elementary schools, Abraham Depp, Deer Run, Glacier Ridge, and Pinney will be impacted, according to the draft plan. It shows students at four middle schools will also be impacted, Eversole Run, Grizzell, Karrer, and Sells.
According to district data, Abraham Depp, Deer Run, Pinney, Eversole Run, and Karrer are currently above capacity. The draft plan brings those schools below capacity by moving 1,373 students.
“They have no choice because they’re building a new elementary school, and that elementary school needs a boundary,” said Matt Cropper with Cropper GIS Consulting, the firm leading the process. “And so that’s the number one thing is making sure that we can populate the new elementary school effectively and also, even just as important, provide relief to families and schools in the area that need relief.”
Some parents tell me they question whether this should be the solution.
“You can walk to each other’s house, and now you’re saying, okay, you’ve got to go to different schools,” said Tiffany Shirk. “It’s just unfortunate when you’re in almost the same neighborhood.”
Shirk said her kids will not be attending different schools, but it still impacts them.
“Bailey Elementary, we have such a great group of kids, and we’ve developed these awesome relationships put together with families, and now that’s being split down the line 70, 30,” she said.
“We just have a question or a hard time seeing how you can be a walker between middle to an elementary school, yet people who live across the street, you’re now not going to junior high school with,” Mahlstedt said.
The final plan will be presented to the Board of Education in December. The superintendent said there will not be a vote, and the final plan will go into effect.
The district has the draft plan and data online.
Project leaders are also hoping families and community members share their thoughts with them. There’s a survey to do that.
The superintendent said conversations about high school redistricting will start in 2025.
