West Ottawa closer to cracking the code of elementary redistricting
HOLLAND TWP. — Changes to elementary school boundaries in West Ottawa Public Schools are still up for discussion, as the district looks ahead to the opening of Riley Farms Elementary School in 2025.
The district has been gathering community input for well over a year. Superintendent Tim Bearden and the WOPS Board of Education touched on possibilities during a work session Monday, March 18.
Bearden said they’re on the “10th or 11th interaction of redrawing boundaries.”
“The location of our current elementary school buildings makes it sort of a challenge to redistribute the lines in a way that makes sense,” he said Monday. “We’re getting much closer. Every time we think visually it’s logical, when we start adding up the numbers, we find out the numbers don’t necessarily work.”
Other decisions include how to handle in-district school of choice — parents choosing a different elementary school than the one whose boundary they live in — and “grandfathering in” students to the building they currently attend.
More: West Ottawa looking to 'seize the opportunity' with elementary redistricting
Bearden said the goal is to create neighborhood schools and “as much as possible, to keep kids in their neighborhood elementaries.” He added they’re also aiming for the “least amount of disruption possible."
Bearden told the board the district's administrative team is meeting with transportation soon to discuss the latest plan. He will update board committees in early April before hosting another community forum.
The district has decided to use North Holland Elementary for its Spanish Immersion Program, since most students currently attending the school will be closer to Riley Farms when it opens.
As such, the new boundaries will affect Great Lakes, Lakeshore, Lakewood, Pine Creek, Sheldon Woods, Riley Farms, Waukazoo and Woodside.
Bearden said he hopes to have a final boundary proposal for the board in May or June. He plans to share those boundaries with families by the 2024-25 school year, though they won't take effect until 2025-26.
Subscribe: Receive unlimited digital access to your local news coverage
Board members acknowledged that redrawing boundaries is a difficult task.
“We’re not going to make everybody happy, clearly. There are going to be some families who are upset, we know that,” said Vice President Tyson Smith. “We’ve been very empathetic, we’ve listened to people, we’ve taken feedback, we’ve been out in front of the community, we’ve communicated every step of this process along the way. As long as we continue to do that, wherever we end up, we’ll be OK.”
Riley Farms will be located along 120th Avenue, between James Street and Riley Street, in Holland Township.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: West Ottawa closer to cracking the code of elementary redistricting
