Columbia County Residents Will Be Able to Weigh in on Rezoning

By Betsy Gilliland

Columbia County school administrators will present a proposal to rezone the system’s high school boundaries at a public hearing Thursday.

The high school lines are being redrawn to prepare for the opening of Grovetown High School on Chamblin Road in 2009.

Superintendent Charles Nagle said the school is being built to keep pace with the rapid growth in the county.

“The building and construction is going on all over the county,” he said.

Under the proposal, Lakeside is the only county high school that would gain students – about 200.

Mr. Nagle said that area is not growing as rapidly as other parts of the county.

Board member Mike Sleeper said he has heard from parents who are upset about being moved from the Greenbrier zone because they purchased property specifically so their children could attend the high school.

The proposal also would send Greenbrier Middle School pupils to three high schools.

Maps of the proposed zones will be posted at the meeting. Maps and narrative descriptions of the boundaries also are available online at www.ccboe.net.

Comment forms will be at the meeting, and school officials will be present to answer questions.

Parents can e-mail administrators at zoning@ccboe.net or call the central office at (706) 541-0650.

A second public hearing will be held April 1 at Greenbrier High School. Administrators hope to finalize the rezoning plan this spring.

Reach Betsy Gilliland at (706) 868-1222, ext. 113,or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.

Originally published by Betsy Gilliland Columbia County Bureau.

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