Approximately 250 students will be moved to another elementary next school year to alleviate the enrollment of some buildings. After deliberating for a month, the Noblesville School Board unanimously approved the rebalancing proposal on March 18.
“We tried to impact as few as possible,” Julia Kozicki, school board member, said.
Due to large increases in enrollment at two elementary schools, the Noblesville School Board and district administration appointed a rebalancing committee to look at adjusting enrollment districts to accommodate the growth at those schools. Promise Road has 759 students and Noble Crossing has 682. Each has capacity for 730 students.
“It’s not easy for anybody to move. For the overall good of the entire school district this is something we should move forward on,” said Donna Clark, school board vice president.
The plan approved by the board includes moving the following neighborhoods for the 2014-15 school year:
• Rivers Edge Apartments from Noble Crossing to North.
• The area bounded by Conner, Hannibal and 10th streets and Ind. 37 to move from Stony Creek to North.
• Fox Glen and Arbor Grove from Promise Road to Stony Creek.
• Monarch Springs, Fishers Oakwood and other students east of Promise Road and north of Ind. 32 or east of Ind. 37 and north of 186th Street from Promise Road to White River.
The school board said it would look into grandfathering next year’s fifth-graders to stay at their current school if parents provided transportation to and from school.
“We (the rebalancing committee) talked about that and I think it’s appropriate,” Julia Kozicki, school board member, said.
The committee presented its proposal at forums at all seven elementary schools during January and early February to allow for community feedback. The last time the district rebalanced elementary schools not during redistricting was when Forest Hill closed in 2011.
