Student Reassignment
Dear NRMPS Staff & Community,
The last time Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools went through a student reassignment process was the year Nash Central High School opened in 2002. Since that time, populations have changed and shifted. Many of our schools are overcrowded and some are under utilized. In January 2012, the NRMPS Board of Education voted to analyze our student assignments and evaluate if reassignment needed to occur to ensure compliance with the law and to more effectively and efficiently educate all of our students and utilize resources. A Student Reassignment Committee has been formed to oversee the process which will be open and transparent to the public. The 33 member committee represents parents, staff, community and all regions of the district.The public will have multiple opportunities to examine the process and give input before any decisions are made. Please visit this website often for the latest information on process, meetings, public hearings and explanations. We want to hear from you. Please see the links provided for questions and comments.
Student Reassignment Updates
NRMPS staff and the Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd) unveiled the first draft of a school reassignment scenario based on balancing school building capacity over the entire district and students attending the closest school. In this scenario, district-wide student travel distance is minimized while balancing building utilization.
Committee members viewed initial data for the optimal scenarios at the March Reassignment Committee meeting. Tonight’s meeting also included draft maps of the district. The initial optimal scenarios were reviewed by OREd and committee members with regard to transportation, school feeder, and other issues. 19 changes were made to the original optimal scenario as a result of the review process.
Committee members were reminded that this is a process and is by no means a final proposal. The utilization scenario process will provide a data-driven solution that addresses most of the conditions set forth by the Board of Education as priorities for any reassignment plan.
Student Reassignment Priorities
The NRMPS Board of Education priorities given to the committee are:
- Contiguous boundaries:
- Attempt to maintain contiguous school boundaries without using satellite attendance areas
- Respect neighborhoods:
- Avoid dividing easily recognized “neighborhoods” or identified “developments” or “sub-divisions” unless it is necessary to meet other guidelines. Whenever possible and practical use major highways, railroads, rivers, and streams as natural boundaries.
- Proximity to schools:
- While it is recognized that all students cannot be assigned to their closest school, consider students’ proximity to other schools when creating school boundaries.
- Modify feeder systems:
- In order to maximize facility use and establish reasonable numbers of students at each site, consider the use of 6 middle school feeder systems instead of 5. This would allow smaller, more instructionally suited middle schools and less dependence on mobile classrooms.
- Stay within enrollment capacities:
- Unless it is likely that a school enrollment will be declining, assign students to the four high schools in a way that their enrollments are under established capacities.
- Consider anticipated growth:
- Enrollment growth patterns should be taken into consideration, where feasible, to ensure that anticipated growth will not adversely impact one school significantly more than the others.
- Enrollment balance:
- In keeping with the intent of SB612, attempt to balance the percentage of academic and economic populations at each middle and high school.
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