FAQ

What is redistricting?

Redistricting is the process of redrawing attendance lines for schools.

Why will students only be moved from CES/CPS?

Christiansburg Primary and Christiansburg Elementary are over capacity. The expansion at Falling Branch Elementary has created room for 30-50 families to move. When a new Belview-area school is built, we expect that it will be large enough to accommodate the current students at Belview and up to half of CES and CPS.

How many students will be moved from CES/CPS?

Approximately 30-50 students will be moved from CES/CPS to Falling Branch. An additional 300 students will be slated to go to the new Belview-area school when it opens. (These numbers are approximate. Firm estimates will be available a the committee meets and discusses options.)

What is the current enrollment and capacity at CPS and CES?

Christiansburg Primary School can hold 342 students and has 511 K-2 students enrolled.

Christiansburg Elementary School can hold 266 students and has 462 3-5 students enrolled.

What integration plans are in place for students who will change schools, and when will this information be available to parents?

Specific integration plans will be developed once the Board approves a redistricting option. The plans will be available to parents prior to the end of the 18-19 school year. Plans will include a time for students and families to visit the school and participate in an orientation. All records and recommendations regarding students will be forwarded from the current school directly to FBES.

Class placements are not determined until the summer and are primarily made on instructional needs but priority will be given to attempting to place students in classes that have other students from CPS/CES. Additional teaching staff will be added at FBES. Staff will be selected through the normal hiring process with the administration at Falling Branch leading the process.

Is the before/after school care that I use for my child a consideration for potentially staying at CPS/CES?

The proposed plan is that any students living in areas that are moved to the FBES attendance zone will have to attend FBES. The only exceptions will be for students who will be in 5th grade for the 19-20 school year, they may remain at CES if the family provides transportation. Students who will be in PK-4th should attend FBES. Exceptions will not be provided based on daycare. Any exceptions granted must be based on extenuating circumstances such as medical needs.

Why is proximity to the school not used as a guideline for redistricting?

In looking at options, the committee needed to consider multiple criteria. For this option, many of the bus routes are in close proximity to FBES. The driving time to FBES from any of the options was within acceptable time limits so this was not an overriding factor in the decision.

Are there communities that can be transported to FBES without using the interstate?

At this time routes have not been finalized. Buses do travel on the interstate on a daily basis. The proposed Option 3 may require the bus to be on 81 for approximately 3 minutes. We are also going to present Option 2 to the Board on Feb. 19.

Are the children that are part of this phase 1 redistricting plan be considered for an additional change during phase 2?

A priority in any future redistricting will be to avoid changes to areas that have recently been involved. We do not foresee redistricting the same areas twice.

Out of the three options considered by the redistricting committee, why was this one chosen?

Option 3 provided the highest utilization factor for FBES. It also best met demographic parameters in that it had minor disruption to the socio-economic status of each school. Buses were asked to drive each route and the time on the bus for students was not significantly different. Even though the distance to FBES is slightly longer the time on the bus was approximately the same.

In evaluating each option, the Redistricting Committee took into account all of the criteria points presented to the School Board on February 5. These were also used during the previous redistricting process in 2012. After careful consideration of the criteria, the Redistricting Committee recommended the proposed option as the best course of action. The Board will plan to approve an Option on April 2, 2019.

Do the projected enrollment numbers after redistricting include students in the re-zoned area who might already attend FBE through the transfer process?

In order to make the count as accurate as possible for new students coming to FBES, we did not count students that are already attending FBES. They are included in the current FBES enrollment numbers.