Plum School Officials Consider Redistricting Options

Plum Borough School District officials continue to explore the best option for redistricting—it could occur as early as next school year or as late as the 2015-16 school year.

However, the school board and administrators have many factors to consider when deciding when to implement the new plan. A new school building project at the Adlai Stevenson Elementary site is expected to begin this summer/fall, Holiday Park Elementary is closing once the new school is built and hundreds of Adlai students will be moved to the Old Pivik during construction of the new school ((district officials are calling this AS@P).

As of right now, plans call for crews to break ground/demolish the existing Adlai Stevenson in June 2013. Building construction will begin in September 2013 and the building (to be named Holiday Park Elementary) will be ready for occupancy in December 2014—meaning a mid-year transition from AS@P to the new Holiday Park would be needed.

Now, the issue is when elementary students will experience redistricting—a process where new school attendance or sending zones/boundaries are established based on proximity to school and transportation routes.

Superintendent Timothy Glasspool said the rationale behind redistricting is that the new George Pivik Elementary School has six open classrooms, the new Holiday Park school won't be able to accomodate all Adlai and Holiday Park students, current transportation routes are not efficient and district enrollment is declining. He estimated the district would save about $175,000 in transportation costs due to the redistricting.

Glasspool said officials have been working to Geographic Information System software, Allegheny County parcel information and the transportation department to consider options.

He presented several redistricting options to parents and members of the community during a school board facilities committee meeting Tuesday night.

Glasspool's presentation has been upload to this article and also can be found on the district website.

Here's a look at the options:

1. 2014-15 school year: All schools would be redistricted and most students only will move one time. However, eight classes will remain at AS@P for three months, and then all Adlai and Holiday Park students would move to the new Holiday Park Elementary School over an extended winter break.
2. 2015-16 school year: All schools will be redistricted and all students will experience a single move.

School board member Kevin Dowdell suggested possibly implementing a redistricting plan for the 2013-14 school year so that all students already would be attending their respective schools before new school construction begins.

Board member Sal Colella also inquired about adding an alternate to the construction specifications including overtime hours, ensuring that the new Holiday Park school would be complete by fall 2014 to avoid a mid-year move.

"That might cause less heartburn," he said.

Most parents in attendance favored redistricting in 2015-16 so students only would have to experience one move. Many also were against the option of starting school in early August in 2014 so that an extended winter break could be implemented for the mid-year move.

"All the options have pros and cons," Dowdell said.

Glasspool asked parents to remain positive, regardless of what option is chosen.

"Our outward appearance about change will affect our children," he said. "There will be challenges. We understand that. we just ask that parents remain positive."

School board members and district administration will continue the discussion at the April facilities committee meeting.

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