Update March 25: Tuesday’s meeting location changed due to a water main break. It will now be held at the Brunswick County Commissioner’s Chambers.
BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Brunswick County Schools is planning to shuffle around some middle and elementary school students in its northern district to alleviate crowding and fill a new school.
New elementary school assignments for approximately 150 students could go into effect this coming 2019-2020 school year. Middle school re-assignments, which will incorporate Town Creek Elementary School, currently under construction, will take effect during the 2020-2021 school year.
Related: Leland wants an extra-territorial district that would double the area it controls
Brunswick County Schools Operations Committee discussed some forthcoming changes at its March 19 meeting. Two public input meetings, planned on Monday and Tuesday next week, will provide more details on the proposals.
New middle school coming
The new Town Creek Middle School will provide capacity for about 500 students. It was designed to help relieve crowding at Leland Middle School, according to the county’s 2016 bond priority projects book. Estimated to open by August 2020, the new school cost approximately $24.5 million, paid for by the $152 million school bond approved by voters in 2016.
With the new school, comes the necessary transition for existing and future students. According to Daniel Seamans, spokesperson for Brunswick County Schools, Town Creek Elementary’s students will be pooled from South Brunswick Middle School and Leland Middle School.
“We have to create lines,” Seamans said.
Elementary overcrowding in Belville
As for elementary overcrowding, changes are set to take place more quickly. New school assignments could take place as early as the upcoming 2019-2010 school year, Seamans said. Belville Elementary School is in need of overcrowding relief, according to Seamans. Data on exactly how overcrowded the school was not readily available, but will likely be presented at upcoming public meetings, he said.
An estimated 150 students will be moved out of Belville Elementary School and into Town Creek Elementary School. Not including the Westport subdivision, according to a recent Brunswick County Schools release, some students would be re-assigned out of Mallory Creek and the area south of the subdivision, currently in Belville Elementary School’s district.
“There will be a moving of the school line to relieve some of the students from Belville [Elementary],” Seamans said. “They would in turn be going to Town Creek [Elementary].”
Fifth-grade students and their siblings at Belville Elementary School will be permitted to remain in their current school assignment, under the recently-discussed proposal, so long as a parent or guardian provides transportation.
View the proposed elementary school assignments for 2019-2020 below. Click to enlarge.
Public meetings next week
Exact proposals, including detailed redistricting maps will be presented at a series of upcoming public meetings, Seamans said.
Brunswick County Schools’ southern and western districts are not in need of new school assignment lines.
“The overcrowding is just in the northern area,” Seamans said. “We’ve got those new construction projects, developments, that have been approved. We’re already overcrowded, and now we’ve got new housing that’s expected to be opening up in the near future, so that’s only going to bring more students.”
Concerns, ideas, and questions are welcome at Brunswick County Schools’ upcoming meetings on the topic:
- Monday, March 25, at 6 p.m. at Town Creek Elementary in Leland
- Tuesday, March 26th at 10 a.m. at Brunswick County Commissioner’s Chambers in Bolivia
Send tips and comments to Johanna Ferebee at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
