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School district board members create new district boundaries

By Nick Blank nick@claytodayonline.com
Posted 12/15/21

FLEMING ISLAND — Clay County School District board members have new district boundaries and numbers, though there was some contention, and a 3-2 vote, among board members about synchronizing …

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School district board members create new district boundaries


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND — Clay County School District board members have new district boundaries and numbers, though there was some contention, and a 3-2 vote, among board members about synchronizing the numbers with the county.
The boundaries were changed with a unanimous 5-0 vote to accommodate population increases from the 2020 census. Earlier this month, the BOCC altered their map to match the district’s map.
At a school board meeting last week, Board Chairwoman Mary Bolla said there are instances where voters see county and school district candidates from their areas with different numbers. She said she didn’t believe in doing something just because it had always been done that way.
“When people move to the county, which is happening in droves at this stage in the game, it is incredibly confusing to people,” she said.
Board member Janice Kerekes asked about the cost to make the changes. In her experience, phone calls or emails from concerned voters about district numbers have been few and far between.
Kerekes said she didn’t think changing the numbers was necessary at all.
“I’ve been on the board 11 years now, and I’ve had one or two people say, ‘What are the different numbers?’” Kerekes said. “I think our voters are smart enough to know what district they’re in. They get a sample ballot.”
Board member Ashley Gilhousen said she has received emails that start with a person writing they don’t know who represents them.
“I think this [change] does give a strong image to the public, that we represent, that we want to be accessible, and we want to work together,” Gilhousen said.
Board members Tina Bullock and Kerekes voted against the resolution to change district numbers. Bullock said the county and district are separate entities, but they do collaborate.
“This is where I think it’s appropriate for collaboration,” Bullock said after the unanimous boundary change vote. “I don’t think making our numbers match is what we should have done.”

In other business
In other business, the district approved advertising the rezoning of Oakleaf High students to Orange Park High School to relieve capacity issues next school year. A similar vote followed to rezone Oakleaf Junior High students to Orange Park Junior High. The board voted 4-1 on both measures with Kerekes the dissenting vote.
Most of the rezoning affects the Argyle area. After an emotional public hearing last month with parents and students speaking against the change, Kerekes asked if anything more could be done.
“I just feel like we could have looked more and looked at different ways rather than just taking that one part of Argyle and moving it,” she said.
Gilhousen wanted an open house for new students to acclimate to the Orange Park schools. Bolla, whose district lies in Oakleaf, said the rezoning is frustrating and she knows several families impacted. She dug her heels in against the move last year, she said, but Oakleaf has 2,700 students and capacity concerns.
“It’s incredibly frustrating because I also know how Oakleaf is. I know they have been asking us as a board for years now to make some changes,” Bolla said. “This is one of the most difficult decisions we’ll be making and there will be more difficult decisions in the future.”