Two options revealed as part of New Kent school’s redistricting plan

Parents and intrigued members of the public received their first glance of redistricting plans for New Kent County Public Schools with the addition of the new Quinton Elementary School.

Matthew Cropper of Cropper GIS services made his presentation at the Jan. 20 public meeting on the subject with New Kent’s School Board.

Cropper presented a timeline on how his company and an organized committee for the school’s redistricting first met in Feb. 2020. During that time period up until the presentation, there were a lot of talks and proposals that crossed the committee’s path. After receiving that information and feedback, Cropper presented two proposals as discussed by the group, with both of them very similar with one major difference.

Both proposals call for a majority of the western end of New Kent to be the zone for Quinton Elementary School students. Homes and roads off Emmaus Church Road (Route 106) would remain in Watkins, with any other area west of it designated in the new school’s zone. The George Watkins Elementary School zone would expand and cover part of the western part of the current New Kent Elementary School’s zone. That area would be roads on the western side of Old River Road and Courthouse Road (Route 155).

The changes in the two plans revolves around the Brickshire committee. In Option A, the subdivision prior to arriving to Brickshire would have students attend George Watkins Elementary School, while those students who actually live in the Brickshire subdivision would attend New Kent Elementary School. Option B calls for students in both subdivisions to attend New Kent Elementary School.

Cropper talked about the impact of how the Brickshire subdivision effects both plans.

“The Brickshire subdivision and development causes an imbalance in utilization,” Cropper commented. “With our plan, we work with the current students who live there and the projected growth.

“If we go with Option A, it will total 640 students moving, with 440 going from George Watkins Elementary to Quinton and 200 from New Kent Elementary to George Watkins,” he continued. “In Option B, it would still see 590 students impacted, but it will cause an imbalance with more students in New Kent Elementary School.”

Cropper indicated that Option B would result in New Kent Elementary School filling up more quickly, especially if more students move into the Brickshire community as projections predict.

A survey on both plans and a link to review more detailed plans are located on New Kent Public School’s website at https://sites.google.com/nkcps.k12.va.us/nkcps-newelementaryschool2022/redistricting-process?authuser=0. The survey is due on Feb. 7.

School board members are tentatively set to vote on their preferred option at their March 1 meeting.