By Katie Fallon
katiefallon@reporternewspapers.net

Another packed cafeteria greeted Fulton Schools officials Dec. 10 as they unveiled drafts of two plans for redistricting Sandy Springs’ elementary schools.

The drafts were revealed in the third and final round of public meetings held to garner input from Sandy Springs parents about how to incorporate two new elementary schools into existing attendance zones. The drafts were preceded by three plans previously revealed at the district’s round two meeting on Nov. 13. Planners from the Fulton County School District applied comments received at the round two meeting to come up with the most recent drafts.

After taking the input received at the final meeting into consideration, planners will then draft a final map to recommend to the Fulton Board of Education. The board will have first readings of the map in its Jan. 8 and 17 meetings and have a discussion and final vote at its Feb. 12 and 21 meetings.

The redistricting is necessary because of the two new elementary schools that will open in Sandy Springs in the next two years. The new school being built on the corner of Lake Forrest Drive and Cliftwood Road is scheduled to open for the 2008-2009 school year, and a school still in the design phase is scheduled to open for the 2009-2010 school year west of Roswell Road on Ison Road. Existing elementary schools include Dunwoody Springs Charter, Heards Ferry, High Point, Spalding Drive Charter and Woodland Charter.

Draft Plan A

-Heards Ferry students would move to the Lake Forrest site if included in all complexes east of and emptying onto Lake Forrest Drive north of I-285, including but not limited to Lancaster; areas southeast of the intersection of Lake Forrest Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, north of I-285; all areas west of the intersection of Boylston Drive and Hammond Drive; and areas emptying onto Northwood Drive, including but not limited to Sierra Place, Prado North, and Highland Circle.

-Heards Ferry students would move to High Point if included in all areas east of Boylston Drive, including but not limited to Hammond Hills.

-High Point students would move to the Lake Forrest site if included in all areas emptying onto Lake Placid Drive, east and west of Roswell Road, including but not limited to Lake Placid and The Mission; areas emptying onto Carpenter Drive, east of Roswell Road, including but not limited to Park Terrace; and areas along Roswell Road north of Maryeanna Drive including but not limited Southern Trace.

-Spalding Drive students would move to Heards Ferry if included in all areas east of the intersection of Colewood Way and River Valley Roads, west of Johnson Ferry Road, including but not limited to Montaire Estates.

-Spalding Drive students would move to Woodland if included in all complexes on the east side of Roswell Road south of Spalding Drive, including but not limited to The Lodge at Sandy Springs; and all areas emptying onto Trowbridge Road, including but not limited to Victoria Commons and Heights; and all areas emptying onto Morgan Falls Station.

-Spalding Drive students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all areas emptying onto Morgans Falls Road, including but not limited to Harbor Pointe.

-Woodland students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all areas northwest of Roswell Road, including but not limited to Barrington Canyon, Colonial Grand, Grogans Bluff, Huntcliff, Jasmine, Spring Creek and Windridge; and all areas emptying onto Pitts Road, west of Ga. 400, including but not limited to Shadow Pines, Park at Dunwoody, and Dunwoody Point.

-Dunwoody Springs students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all areas west of Ga. 400, south of Dunwoody Place Drive, including but not limited to Legacy Key, Northridge Crossing, Emperian/Northridge, Dunwoody Springs, and Alara.

Draft Plan B

-Heards Ferry students would move to the Lake Forrest site if included in all complexes emptying onto Lake Forrest Drive north of I-285, including but not limited to Lancaster; areas southeast of the intersection of Lake Forrest Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, north of I-285; and areas east of Roswell Road; areas emptying onto Northwood Drive, including but not limited to Sierra Place, Prado North and Highland Circle.

-High Point students would move to the Lake Forrest site if included in all areas emptying onto Lake Placid Drive, east and west of Roswell Road, including but not limited to Lake Placid and The Mission; and areas north of I-285 and west of Ga. 400, including but not limited to Sutters Point, Park Terrace, Hammond Hills and Glenridge Forest, and Aberdeen Forest.

-Spalding Drive students would move to the Lake Forrest site if included in all areas south of Abernathy and River Valley Road, including but not limited to Whispering Pines, Provence North, and Montaire.

-Spalding Drive students would move to Woodland if included in all complexes emptying onto The Valley and Carlisle Court, including but not limited to The Magnolias and Stonington.

-Spalding Drive students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all complexes emptying onto Morgan Falls Road, including but not limited to Harbor Point.

-Woodland students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all areas emptying onto Pitts Road, west of Ga. 400, including but not limited to Shadow Pines, Park at Dunwoody, and Dunwoody Point; and all areas northwest of Roswell Road, including but not limited to Barrington Canyon, Colonial Grand, Grogans Bluff, Huntcliff, Jasmine, Spring Creek and Windridge.

-Dunwoody Springs students would move to the Ison Road site in 2009 if included in all areas west of Ga. 400, south of Dunwoody Place Drive, including but not limited to Legacy Key, Northridge Crossing, Emperian/Northridge, Dunwoody Springs and Alara.

One of the most vocal school groups present at each round of redistricting meetings was the parents from High Point Elementary School. Early on in the process, the High Point Civic Association and the High Point-Ridgeview Coalition for Better Schools made it known they wanted Roswell Road to be their school’s western boundary. None of the three former plans or the two current draft plans fully includes that designation. Instead, a majority of the western boundary on each plan has been Lake Forrest Drive.

Planning Director Patrick Burke said there is a simple reason why High Point’s western boundary cannot be Roswell Road.

“The numbers just don’t work,” Burke said. “You really under-enroll High Point and you either over-enroll Heards Ferry or over-enroll Lake Forrest.”