THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200247
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
School Board members reaffirmed their intent Tuesday to consider boundary changes to relieve crowded schools and to make better use of buildings that are underutilized without spending money.
Board members are bracing themselves for protests from parents, even though the changes would affect only about 2 percent of the city's nearly 75,000 schoolchildren.
``My aim is to see that we get optimum utilization at each of our schools, and in my opinion, we don't have that,'' said board member Robert W. Hall.
Officials have proposed shifting about 1,500 students among 11 schools by:
Moving Blackwater students, who now attend North Landing Elementary, to Creeds Elementary.
Originally, parents from that area requested the change. But Susan L. Creamer, who represents that area, asked to put that suggestion on hold to see if parents still support it after realizing that the move would push Creeds over its 300-student capacity.
Shifting students in the Bellwood Estates area, near the intersection of Elbow and Salem roads, from North Landing to Salem Elementary. The move would allow for expected growth at North Landing.
Moving about 80 students in the Salem Village area, near the intersection of Salem Road and South Independence Boulevard, from Salem Elementary to Landstown Elementary. That would put Landstown nearly at its capacity, and allow more room at Salem to help relieve crowding at Glenwood Elementary.
Transferring about 156 students from Glenwood to Salem Elementary.
Shifting 143 students from Glenwood to Rosemont Forest Elementary.
Feeding 177 students from Landstown Middle into the new Larkspur Middle School. The move would allow for anticipated growth at Landstown until a new middle school opens in 1998.
Moving 160 Plaza Middle students into Larkspur. The shift, along with an addition planned at Plaza, would relieve the school's crowding.
Transferring 300 students from First Colonial High to the new Ocean Lakes High. The move would reduce crowding at First Colonial and eliminate the need for a $2.3 million addition that's planned for 1996. Ocean Lakes, which is well under its 2,176-student capacity now, would grow to 1,850 students.
School Board members questioned some of the proposals.
Tim Jackson said he did not believe the plans would do enough to relieve crowding at Glenwood Elementary, one of the largest elementary schools in the state and one of the most crowded in the city. Glenwood is not scheduled for any additions in the next six years.
Creamer and June T. Kernutt said they were shocked that the proposals did not include any suggestions for decreasing crowding at Princess Anne Middle, which is nearly 46 percent over its capacity and is not scheduled to get any relief until a new middle school opens in 1998.
Lumpkin said that on Feb. 7 he would bring the board some proposals for shifting Princess Anne Middle's attendance zones.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD OVERCROWDED
by CNB