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Neighbors split over school zones
By LOGAN D. MABE KEYSTONE -- About 100 west Hillsborough parents got their first look Tuesday night at boundary proposals for two new schools being built in the Nine Eagles area. But no matter how district officials cut the population pie, some neighborhoods will be left with too small a piece or nothing at all. A boundary committee, working since mid-summer, presented three plans for Bryant Elementary and five for Farnell Middle School, each tailored to meet the needs of various communities. As is often the case, the middle school plans drew the most comment and brewed the most controversy. The most contentious plans were the ones that divide Westchase, sending some students to Westchase Elementary and Davidsen Middle schools and others to the new schools at Nine Eagles Drive and Race Track Road. But just as concerned were residents of Fawn Ridge, Timberlane, Colonial Coach, and the areas serviced by Baycrest Elementary. "We would like to hear what you think," said pupil assignment director Bill Person, after detailing each of the proposals. "Tell us what you like and what you don't like. Tell us what you want the superintendent and the School Board to hear." Person didn't have to ask them twice. Fawn Ridge residents, in particular, spoke against going to Farnell, preferring to stay at Davidsen Middle School. "My child started at Lowry (Elementary), lived in portables for half a year, left half their friends at Lowry, and now they've been sent to Davidsen," said Kim Roberts of Fawn Ridge. "So basically, we're going to drive by Walker and drive by Davidsen to get to Farnell, which is really stupid." Peter Walker, also of Fawn Ridge, said he sympathized with his Westchase neighbors who want to all remain at Davidsen, but, "I'm certainly going to feel absurd driving by a school in Westchase to get to Farnell." Walker proposed leaving Fawn Ridge children in Davidsen, and splitting off part of Westchase to attend Farnell. That was an unpopular scenario for Westchase parents at the meeting. Joanne Gastler, who served on the boundary committee, lives in Westchase and presented a petition circulated by her daughter asking that all Westchase seventh-graders be grandfathered into Davidsen to complete the eighth-grade next year. Anna Punzak of Westchase said she didn't want to see children's friendships sacrificed. "It would tear my heart apart, and our children's hearts, to be split apart," Punzak said. "I cannot imagine having to tell my child that we would be at two separate schools." Added Cathy Meyer of Westchase, "How can you split a neighborhood if you support the concept of neighborhood schools?" The answer to that question was a nettlesome one the committee dealt with through months of meetings. With Westchase Elementary at 140 percent of capacity and Davidsen Middle at about 150 percent capacity, some students will have to change schools. Neighbors in the western portion of Town 'n Country, where children currently attend Baycrest Elementary, also questioned why several plans split their community, too. Joyce Smith of the Town 'n Country Alliance advocated any plan that would keep Baycrest kids together, either at Davidsen or Farnell, to avoid the rough commute to Roland Park Middle. "I don't like to see our children on those dangerous roads," Smith said. Included in the mix for the first time were the Timberlane and Colonial Coach neighborhoods. For more than a decade, children there have been bused to Lockhart Elementary and Roland Park Middle School as part of the district's desegregation plan. Now, they're being considered for Davidsen or Farnell. Tim Madden of Colonial Coach said the neighborhoods should get first consideration for going to Davidsen or Farnell. "Timberlane and us are both afterthoughts," Madden said. "Why is it that the area with lower incomes in the afterthought?" Superintendent Earl Lennard is expected to recommend one plan for each school to the School Board on Jan. 8. Whatever he decides, committee member Orlando Calvo said some parents are going to feel slighted. "There's so much growth coming to this area, it's unbelievable," Calvo said. "We're being asked to fix what Hillsborough County messed up for 20 years. And it's not fair to you or you or to anyone else, but there's nothing we can do about it." - Logan D. Mabe can be reached at (813) 226-3464 or at mabe@sptimes.com.
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