Jeff Brown, interim superintendent, and Andy Kerr, executive director of operations and facilities, announced the district’s new attendance boundaries for elementary schools for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years and the middle schools for the 2011-12 school year during the regular Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. New attendance boundaries are necessary because Olentangy Local Schools will open a new school each of these years and under Ohio Revised Code, it is the superintendent’s responsibility to draw school attendance zones.
“The important thing to remember here is that regardless of which school any Olentangy student attends, he or she receives the same high-quality educational opportunities,” said Brown. “All of our schools received an “Excellent” or “Effective” rating on the 2008 state report card and the district offers the same level of programming throughout the entire district. Our guidance counselors, staff members and administrators have learned through experience how to help students adjust to new environments. While redistricting is certainly not an ideal situation, Olentangy’s mission to facilitate maximum learning for every student thrives despite our continued large student enrollment growth.”
Olentangy’s new Superintendent, Wade Lucas, Ed.D., will begin a regular schedule with the district on March 23. While he is not empowered to make this decision, he has seen the plans, had a chance to ask questions and reviewed the supporting data. He intends to implement the plans as presented and will not re-visit this decision when he arrives in March. “I appreciate all of the community input as well as the hard work and energy that the current administration has put into this decision,” said Lucas. “No perfect solution exists and while I sympathize with those impacted by these plans, this is the best option for the district as a whole at this time. I take comfort in the wonderful facilities and educational programs available to every Olentangy child regardless of the school they attend.”
The finalized plans, a listing of school attendance zones by subdivision, the board presentation and additional information is available through the district’s Web site at www.olentangy.k12.oh.us/district/superintendent/redist/.