Fayetteville students could be heading to schools in different zones all because of expansion at the high school. It wouldn't happen until 2015 but the decision could be coming soon. Some parents have concerns.
When students graduate from Butterfield Trail Elementary, the road ahead is uncertain. Fayetteville's new high school will now teach 9th graders that used to be in junior high. And it’s a trickle effect, 7th graders would be moved up to junior high, and 5th graders moved up to middle school. And as the district strives for balance, parents are concerned their students may not be going to the closest middle school anymore.
"For me, it doesn’t have any bearing on two of my students they're old enough now,” says Butterfield Trail Elementary School PTO President Angie Barbour. “But I do have one that it would have bearing on and it would be difficult when he would be traveling or I would be taking him over there and the other two would be on this side of town."
Under the district’s proposal all Butterfield Trail Elementary students would go to Holt Middle School instead of McNair Middle School. They are about 15 minutes apart. Parents say it’s about distance, not the schools.
"If it were reversed if that school was here and that one was there I think that it would be the same,” Barbour says. “We'd have the same issues with traveling in the morning and getting kids to school. Getting kid's back from school."
The Fayetteville School District says they worked for over a year to come up with their first proposal, but say they are still open to feedback from parents.
The district says east side enrollment higher than west side, and they are find the best use of all their facilities, and keep students together.
"It was our hope in this first proposal that all of the kids that currently go to their elementary school would all stay together as they travel to their assigned middle schools,” says Patty Plummer with Fayetteville Public Schools.
Parents say they plan to voice their concerns.
"Hopefully having parent meetings with our board members parent meetings with the school administrators and then just working through it from there and coming up with some kind of plan that works for everybody," Barbour says.
The final decision will be made in the next few months. The Fayetteville School Board will be meeting to discuss the proposal Thursday at 5 p.m.