Marble – The Cherokee County Board of Education adopted a slightly revised school assignment policy that allows parents to appeal decisions preventing their children from attending out-of-district schools.
The board is holding a special called meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Central Office, 2230 Airport Road, to hear the first appeals under the policy.
The board met last Thursday for the first time in Marble at its relocated Central Office and adopted a wide range of revised policies. The School Assignment policy was the one that drew the most discussion.
Parent Kaylon Hicks, speaking during the public comment portion, described the hardships she faces having to enroll her children in separate schools in different parts of the county.
The board bumped the school assignment policy reading from first reading to second reading – school starts Monday, and time is of the essence – with revisions that give parents the right to appeal decisions. It also adds that principals from both the in-district school and out-of-district school are part of the approval process.
Schools that an out-of-district student would leave may be affected by declining enrollment, while schools that an out-of-district student would seek to attend may be affected by overcrowding and stretched resources.
Board Chair Shannon Roper, who was once in charge of the school district’s transportation department, had insider knowledge about the complications that out-of-district school assignments can cause.
In her case, she faced the challenge of adding one more student to a 52-passenger bus that was already full. Applied at the campus level, adding an out-of-district student could result in overcrowded classrooms or, in the case of the lowest grades, force a school to add a class.
“I’m not willing to undermine what administrators do with their campuses,” Raper said, adding that she felt “undermined constantly” by the system when she ran the transportation department because of out-of-district placements.
Schools with the biggest demand for out-of-district placements are those whose campuses provide more resources – such as football or a specific foreign language – or are near where parents commute and want their children to be close by.
The policy has been revised 14 times since it was first adopted in 1999, including an amendment made June 2023. The Aug. 15 amendment adds the ability for parents to appeal decisions and the requirement for two principals to approve.
Under the policy, students are expected to attend the school they are assigned to based on their residence. The school district abides by state classroom standards, and allows principals to accept out-of-district and even out-of-county students as long as classroom sizes are met.
It sets 14 priorities to accept out-of-district students. It gives highest priority to students already enrolled out-of-district based on the length of that enrollment, and students who have siblings already enrolled out-of-district.
“There are some things the policy does not account for,” said board member Jeff Tatham, who presented the policy. “I’m just asking for an appeals process.”
Raper cast the sole no vote for the policy.