Local school redistricting and the environment

There has been much talk in the Wilmington area about economic development. One thing that seems to be overlooked is how our school districts affect this issue. School districts are one of the first things that companies and families look at when planning to move to a new area. As I am sure you are aware, the New Hanover County Schools Board of Education has been redistricting on a regular basis for the past few years. Many parents (home buyers and renters alike) in New Hanover County make decisions about where to live based on the schools that their children will attend. Basically in New Hanover County this has become meaningless.

It seems like every year there is a redistricting battle because the Board of Education (BOE) continues to make poor decisions about busing and building new schools in areas that don’t benefit the population. Right now, the proposed maps have children being bused all over the county, primarily to fill a school in Castle Hayne that in my opinion should not have been built in the first place. The BOE purchased land and built schools in a heavy industry area where there are very few children nearby. Because of this they are wanting to bus children as far away as 14 miles to this school to fill it up. Many parents are very upset about this for obvious reasons, but did I mention that the new schools are 700 feet from an EPA Superfund site and less than two miles away from the proposed Titan Cement plant?

Information is finally getting out into the press about this situation thanks to diligent parents, so now the public is becoming more aware. I don’t want my children to be bused from Middle Sound to Castle Hayne to sit in classrooms and play on playgrounds in a heavy industry part of town.

If I were Googling this area to find out if it would be a good place to relocate my company or family and found this information I would not even visit to check it out. Just some food for thought…..

Jen Smith
Concerned Parent