Construction is well under way on two new Carmel Clay Schools elementary school buildings, and administrators are ready to begin a communitywide conversation about redistricting students to fill them.
CCS will close Orchard Park Elementary after the 2020-21 school year and open Clay Center Elementary approximately 5 miles away, leading to the need to redistrict. A new Carmel Elementary School building will open at the same time on land adjacent to the existing building on 4th Ave. SE.
Although only one new school is opening, CCS Associate Supt. Roger McMichael said he expects the effects of redistricting to be felt throughout the district.
“This redistricting will have some impact on every elementary school and therefore every middle school in the district, not just on the west side where the new school is going,” McMichael said. “From past history, that’s what tends to happen.”
CCS officials began reaching out to parents and community members Sept. 15 to begin forming focus groups to discuss the redistricting process. All members of the community, whether or not they have children in the district, will be invited to provide feedback during the process.
“We’ll make every effort to make it known that if you live in Carmel, you have an opportunity to have an opinion and provide input for what we’re doing,” McMichael said.
Focus groups will be capped at 12 members who are randomly selected from applicants. Groups will be comprised of parents of students at the same elementary schools with an additional group for community members who do not have students currently in a CCS school.
The focus groups are expected to meet in mid-October. CCS will work with consulting firm Cooperative Strategies to develop redistricting options after gathering information from the focus groups. A series of community meetings, including a virtual option, will be conducted to present the possible redistricting plans to the public.
A recommended redistricting plan is expected to be presented to the school board in November with a final vote planned for Dec. 14.
McMichael plans to give a presentation of the redistricting process at the school board’s next meeting, set for 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Educational Services Center, 5201 E. Main St. in Carmel.
Apply to be part of a focus group by Sept. 28 surveymonkey.com/r/MCLJJSN.
Current CCS Parent meeting times (based on current elementary boundaries)
- Carmel Elementary: 10/8 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM; 10/9 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/12 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM
- Cherry Tree Elementary: 10/8 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM; 10/9 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/12 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM
- College Wood Elementary: 10/8 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/9 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Forest Dale Elementary: 10/8 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/14 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Mohawk Trails Elementary: 10/8 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/14 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Orchard Park Elementary: 10/8 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM; 10/9 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/12 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM
- Prairie Trace Elementary: 10/8 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/14 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Smokey Row Elementary: 10/8 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM; 10/9 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/12 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM
- Towne Meadow Elementary: 10/8 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/9 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- West Clay Elementary: 10/8 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/9 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Woodbrook Elementary: 10/8 @ 10:00AM-11:30AM; 10/12 @ 8:00AM-9:30AM; 10/14 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
- Community-At-Large Meetings: 10/8 @ 2:00PM-3:30PM; 10/13 @ 5:30PM-7:00PM
