Barrington parents voice their concerns over school redistricting

With deliberations over proposed redistricting plans in Barrington Area Unit District 220 set to begin tonight, parents spent Tuesday expressing concerns over the proposals.

School board members hosted a public hearing at Barrington High School as a way to give residents a chance to formally share their opinions on the proposed elementary boundary changes.

About 40 parents from throughout the district attended the meeting, with representatives of more than half of the areas that are being marked for moving from one school to another speaking on their behalf.

Carrie Stegvik said she has safety concerns over a plan that has her neighborhood moving from Hough Street School to Roslyn Road School.

If moved to Roslyn Road, Stegvik said her kids would not have as safe a walk to school as they do now.

"Safely, they can cross all those streets to get to Hough," Stegvik said.

Last month, the district's community based enrollment-monitoring committee wrapped up work on developing different plans to better evenly distribute the district's 3,300 elementary students.

The committee presented the school board, which has final say on the issue, with four different options for redistricting.

The maps the district is considering show anywhere from 180 to 235 students changing schools. Most of the changes are being proposed for the start of the 2008-09 school year; however, some changes would not go into effect until certain areas become fully developed.

Among those who have been most vocal in their opposition to the plans have been residents in the newly built The Woods subdivision in South Barrington.

Residents there are unhappy with proposals that have them moving out of the Barbara Rose School attendance area, which is the closest school to their homes.

Jason West spoke on behalf of his neighbors and said one of their main concerns is that the neighborhood could be split up in as many as three ways under one proposal.

"This map puts the entire burden of the overcrowding solely on the Woods subdivision," West said.

Scott Young, representing the Savannah and Pheasant Ridge subdivisions, said he hopes the proposal selected is not just a quick fix for the problem.

"We just want to make sure this is the best solution for the long run," Young said.

School board President Brian Battle said he was happy with the feedback they got during Tuesday's hearing.

"I think the tone was very constructive and helpful to the board," Battle said.

School board members plan to take the comments from the hearing into consideration when they begin deliberating over the different proposals during tonight's specially scheduled meeting.

A final decision is not expected until at least the board's regularly scheduled March 4 meeting.