Schools Consider Rezoning Plan

IF YOU LIVE IN NASHVILLE YOUR CHILD MAY WIND UP GOING TO ANOTHER SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

SOME METRO SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED... WHILE OTHERS HAVE EMPTY CLASSROOMS SO THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT CLOSING 5-SCHOOLS AND REDRAWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS

THE PRELIMINARY PLAN CALLS FOR THE REZONING TO TAKE EFFECT BY THE 2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR.

AND ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT'S SPOKESPERSON... THE CHANGES WOULD AFFECT 69 OF METRO'S 136 SCHOOLS IN ONE WAY... OR ANOTHER.

AS ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY WRAPS UP--CHILDREN AT DALEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL TAKE DOWN THE FLAGS... BUT UNDER A NEW PROPOSAL--THIS "COULD" BE THE LAST YEAR FOR KIDS AT DALEWOOD.

THAT'S BECAUSE UNDER A NEW RE-ZOING PROPOSAL, IT WOULD BE ONE OF 5 METRO SCHOOLS TO CLOSE.

WOODY MCMILLAN / METRO SCHOOLS: over the next 6-8 weeks, we expect to hear a lot of feed back from many people, because this will affect thousands of parents across Davidson county.

THE PLAN TO REZONE COUNTY SCHOOLS.. STEMS FROM THE OPENING OF CANE RIDGE HIGH IN ANTIOCH NEXT AUGUST.

WOODY MCMILLAN / METRO SCHOOLS: Cane Ridge started this, but we'd been looking at it for some time, the last time we did this was 10 years and we'd been concerned about the population in different schools with some so overcrowded and others under utilized and with the introduction of Cane Ridge into the district this was just *perfect opportunity to discuss all these other changes.

CHANGES--THAT FOR SOME PARENTS LIKE JUANITA WOODEN..ARE *NOT WELCOME...

JUANITA WOODEN / DALEWOOD PARENT: He's in a fragile class here, he's had a hard time and this has been the best school he's ever been in. If they *do close this school down for some reason, I will take him our and put him in a private school because if this is shut down then I'm not happy with this at all.

AMMIE GAINES / DALEWOOD PARENT: I don't like it at all, because like I said my son really likes Dalewood.

TODAY METRO PRINCIPALS MET.. TO LEARN DETAILS OF THE PLANS...

JILL PITTMAN / J.T. MOORE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: I think the proposals being made are based on good fiscal judgement and a concern for what's good for families and communities so I have to support that.

WOODY MCMILLAN / METRO SCHOOLS: some parents will be delighted, others concerned with the changes OUR goal is to do what's best for children and to try to accommodate needs and wishes of as many people as possible, but in a situation like this it's very challenging.

DR. PEDRO GARCIA SAYS THE PRELIMINARY PLAN REQUIRES NO BUILDING ADDITIONS OR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SCHOOLS, AND "COULD" LOWER TRANSPORTATION COSTS.

THE FIVE SCHOOLS THAT COULD CLOSE.. BROOKEMEADE AND GATEWAY ELEMENTARY.. AS WELL AS DALEWOOD, EWING PARK AND MCKISSAK MIDDLE SCHOOLS... WOULD BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES SUCH AS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS OR AS MAGNET SCHOOLS.

THE DISTRICT IS ASKING THE SCHOOL BOARD TO MAKE A DECISION BY DECEMBER.

TO FIND OUT IF YOUR CHILD MAY BE AFFECTED CLICK ON FOX LINKS.. AND LOOK FOR PROPOSED SCHOOL REZONING