Conway School District to look at rezoning

Changes may be in store for the Conway School District.

The school district is considering a school rezoning, assistant superintendent Carroll Bishop said. The rezoning would adjust the district's zones to include the new Padgett Elementary School next year, as well as reduce the number of students in the "at-capacity" Jim Stone and Ellen Smith elementary schools.

Padgett Elementary School is currently being constructed and it's proposed zone would occupy an area in the city's northwest.

No rezoning decisions have yet been made by the Conway School Board, Bishop said, but school committees have been working on the issue for "a couple years" to as early as possible "give people notice of where their children will be going to school next year."

A good portion of the Ellen Smith Elementary zone in south-central Conway would be absorbed by Sallie Cone Elementary, while the northwest portion of Jim Stone Elementary's zone in northwest Conway would be absorbed by the Padgett Elementary School. Northwest portions of Ida Burns and Julia Lee Moore elementary school zones would likewise be absorbed by Padgett Elementary School.

"We've spent two years with committees looking at options," Bishop said, "and this is an option our elementary school principals put together."

A public hearing concerning the rezoning will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in the James H. Clark Auditorium at the Conway High School-West campus, Bishop said. Individual schools are planning parent-teacher organization meetings to invite preliminary discussion, he added.

Though some parents will if a rezoning is approved be taking their children to different schools next year, there will be no changes to the "feeder schools," Bishop said.

Sallie Cone Elementary, Margeurite Vann Elementary, Jim Stone Elementary, Ellen Smith Elementary and the yet-to-be-completed Padgett Elementary will still "feed into" Ruth Doyle Intermediate School, he explained.

Likewise, Theodore Jones Elementary, Florence Mattison Elementary, Julia Lee Moore Elementary and Ida Burns Elementary will still "feed into" Raymond and Phyllis Simon Intermediate School, he said.

Raymond and Phyllis Simon and Ruth Doyle intermediate schools will continue to "feed into" Bob Courtway and Carl Stuart Middle Schools, respectively.

Those interested in viewing a map illustrating the proposed rezoning can find one in the district's administrative building at 2220 Prince St., Bishop said. Bishop said he or other school officials will likely be able to field questions concerning the rezoning if not busy.

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)