School Board votes unanimously, agrees to two amendments . . .
The Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation now has an approved kindergarten through eighth grade redistricting plan for the coming school year, but getting there was not easy.
Board members tackled a number of amendments to the “preferred” plan submitted by school administrators following a long process of public input.
The board approved the final vote on the plan unanimously, approved two amendments and turned down another.
Both approved amendments would involve only a handful of students. The first amendment will let students in the Logan’s Point area remain in their current school. This effects no more than 11 students. That amendment passed on a 5-2 vote, with Mike Bottorff and Amanda Shera voting against the amendment.
The second amendment will allow about six students in the Anchorage neighborhood to remain where they are. That measure passed on a 6-1 vote with Mike Bottorff voting against.
Other than those two minor changes, the board put its unanimous stamp of approval on the “preferred” redistricting plan recommended to the board by Superintendent Allen Bourff.
Michelle Fullhart offered a motion to move about 66 students in what she described as the “river neighborhood” and a large apartment complex. That amendment was voted down on a 4-2 vote. Fullhart and Sylvia Shepler were the only yes votes on that proposal.
Mike Bottorff offered a motion to grandfather students in grades 3, 5 and 7 and to allow transfer appeals. It was pointed out that the “preferred” redistricting plan the board was considering already had those provisions, but the board voted to approve the motion unanimously to emphasize the point.
Ten people spoke to the board about the redistricting plan, mostly the same people that addressed the board at the last meeting.
For more details on the options approved by the board, use this link.