Jackson County School District prepares for rezoning
ROY HOWARD COMMUNITY JOURNALISM CENTER- Attendance district rezonings in the Jackson County School District are set to take effect this year as new housing developments continue to grow in the St. Martin area.
School board members say the adjustment is expected to help resolve overcrowding concerns at St. Martin schools.
J.C. Roberts with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center reports.
With the end of the semester approaching, the Jackson County School District’s rezoning plan will finally take effect this year.
The proposal could affect more than 50 families in the St. Martin and Vancleave communities.
Superintendent David Baggett says St. Martin is expecting an increase in enrollment, which could lead to overcrowding if school zones aren’t adjusted. “It’s going to come to a point where the population at St. Martin’s going to be bigger than Vancleave and East Central put together. I just don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the district.”
The first step in the plan moves elementary students living west of Gulf Hills Road from St. Martin East to St. Martin North.
The second phase shifts students living north of Joe Batt Road from St. Martin East to Vancleave Lower Elementary, helping balance enrollment across the district.
“Vancleave has kind of been viewed as a safety valve for the overflow that St. Martin has, and I guess that this this is what we’re trying to do to address it.”
But some parents worry the change could create new challenges.
Kayleigh Dominey, a Vancleave resident, says the surrounding schools don’t have the resources or space to accommodate the changes. “Our schools have not been updated in quite some time. The Lower Elementary is still the same as when I went to school there in 2005. There are already 25-plus kids in every class.”
Baggett says the goal is to “grandfather” current students, allowing them to stay at their schools despite new boundaries.
However, transportation isn’t guaranteed.
The board says the district will help families adapt, with meetings and school tours planned for students transitioning to new schools. “That’s the best compromise, I think, because it accomplishes what we want to do with the future population.”
