Reaction to Latest Redistricting Map Shows Parents Split Along East-West Line

Wednesday night's final community input meeting for Fulton County Schools' proposed redistricting drew parents from all over North Fulton as well as their mixed reactions.

Residents on the west side of 400 were not content with the new map.

Some children on the west of 400 would have to cross over the highway to attend Centennial, and the current map does not address this issue, which proved distressing for Roswell residents. 

Kim and Mike McDermott, who live in Roswell and travel on Holcomb Bridge to 400 to get to work, said they were concerned about the number of students traveling the same route to get to Centennial on the east of the highway. They said this adds to congestion, as well as jeopardizes the safety of the children.

Roswell resident Emily Lee, whose child will attend Centennial, echoed that concern. "It's not safe for kids if they miss the bus to have to walk across 400," she said.

Roswell residents were also concerned that the redistricting will disrupt the Sweet Apple/Elkins/Roswell High community, as well as add to congestion on Etris Road.

"If [the school board] says geographic proximity is the No. 1 priority, they are violating their own rules," added an Alpharetta resident.

Further to the west, Milton parent Dana Draughon was concerned about the psychological toll a rezoning would take on her daughter, who attends Northwestern Middle. Instead of going to high school at Milton High with the majority of her classmates, her daughter will be rerouted to the new school. 

"Kids are at their most vulnerable at this age," said the Taylor Glen resident, who added that her family also lives closer to Milton High than the new school's location, and that traffic and congestion will be an issue with the new map.

Residents on the east side of 400,  including a contingent of Johns Creek residents who showed up to Alpharetta High in coordinating orange T-shirts, were happy that the latest draft map for the most part leaves their zoning unchanged.

In small-group break-out sessions led by facilitators, representatives from Johns Creek neighborhoods along the Old Alabama/Jones Bridge corridor were sure to list their perceived "pros" that would be passed along to the school board.

They were relieved that the latest map, unlike some of the proposed maps presented in March, would leave their children in Autrey Mill Middle and Johns Creek High, meaning the children would not have to be transported west on Old Alabama with the flow of rush-hour traffic to get to Haynes Bridge Middle and Centennial High.

"Johns Creek is not getting redistricted again," said Keith Olander, homeowners association president for Glastonberry on Barnwell Road near Jones Bridge, on the map's pros. He added that children would not have to be transported west on Old Alabama with the morning rush hour flow. "Old Alabama is our 400," he said.

Parents also stated they were pleased that the sense of community created when Johns Creek High was built would be maintained, and that Autrey Mill Middle school would still feed into the high school that was built in 2009.

Both pros and cons stated during these break-out sessions will be presented to the school board in May. The board will make adjustments based on feedback and will vote on a final map in June. The public has until Monday, April 18, at 8 a.m. to input additional concerns online.

"The map that you see tonight is not the final map," said Yngrid Huff, Fulton County Schools' operational planning director. "We are here to get your feedback."