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Alamance-Burlington Schools Considers Redistricting Options To Ease Overcrowding

The Alamance-Burlington Schools district wants to move about 103 students from Highland Elementary to E.M. Holt Elementary

GREENSBORO, N.C. — School districts consider redistricting for multiple reasons like poor facilities, building new schools, classroom diversity, and safer or shorter bus routes.

Education experts say these things, including classroom overcrowding, can hurt a student's learning. Some schools add teachers and mobile classrooms to help solve some of the problems.

 A number of Triad school boards are now weighing their options and looking to redistricting as well. 

Alamance-Burlington Schools is considering sending students from one overcrowded school to another school about 10 minutes away. 

The district wants to move about 103 students from Highland Elementary to E.M. Holt Elementary.

Officials say rapid growth and development in the area had led to more students attending Highland Elementary.

"We only expect that to grow because we have housing developments which are going up literally across the street and we have other areas that are continuing to grow," said Allison Gant, the Chair of the A.B.S.S Board of Education.

 According to Gant, this proposed change would only affect students already zoned to attend Southern Middle and Southern High Schools. 

"It's cost-effective for the district, otherwise we would have to bring in trailers and that gets very expensive. So when we have the capacity we like to see if there are opportunities to get those seats filled," added Gant.

School officials say such trailers or mobile classroom units would cost about $100,000 each if the board went with that option.

The school board will send letters to affected students and set up a public hearing to get input from parents. 

Guilford County Schools is also considering redistricting to fix several old and rundown schools. 

Winston-Salem Forsyth County School recently set up a 'Choice Committee' to see if its redistricting policy requires updating.

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