Cease the 2017 School Rezoning of Sugar Tree Neighborhood
- by: Shannon Kinkle
- recipient: Dr. B.J. Worthington, Director of Schools, Clarksville Montgomery County, Clarksville, TN
CMCSS has proceeded to move rapidly forward with rezoning middle and high school students living in the Sugar Tree subdivision, from West Creek Schools to Kenwood Middle and High school. This change is being implemented with minimal feedback from residents, in an expedited manner, and without concern for the best interest of the students that will be impacted. The rezoning will negatively impact the value of homes in the area, due to the quality and present rating of the Kenwood schools. A number of realtors have reported that it is difficult to show homes listed in the Kenwood schools zone.
Many residents specifically purchased homes in this area due to the ratings and quality of West Creek schools. A loss in perceived home value and the inability for residents to sell their homes is inevitable if rezoned. Additionally, this is the SECOND time this neighborhood has been rezoned. The first being when students were moved from Northeast schools to West Creek.
Furthermore, this is an established neighborhood, and the change would move only 72 middle schoolers and 107 high schoolers. With parents given the option to remain at West Creek, the issue of over crowding could not be the primary CMCSS concern. These same students are allowed to remain at West Creek schools, but transportation for these students would not be provided by CMCSS. Nor has CMCSS reported that any federal and or state funds that it receives for transporting these children, be refunded to the parents. It is anticipated that it would be impossible and/or difficult for many of the areas residents to leave their jobs, change work schedules, or wake and dress younger siblings in order for parents to drive the students to West Creek schools. Making it difficult for parents to provide transportation forces this change on many families. Rezoned students would be forced to leave established clubs, sports, and academics that they have thrived in, at West Creek Schools.
The residents of Sugar Tree therefore request that the rezoning be stopped for the 2017/18 school year, until a better plan can be established for upcoming school years.
Dear Dr. Worthington,
The residents of Sugar Tree subdivision are vehemently opposed to the rezoning that CMCSS for the 2017-18 approved school year. Attached is a petition which is signed by residents and community members who oppose this change. Residents have requested that a hold be placed on this venture immediately, until a better plan is proposed. And/Or that our already established neighborhood be exempt from this change.
The rezoning impacts the neighborhood by the following;
1. The homeowners of this residential area will have a loss of perceived home values due to the lower rating of Kenwood schools.
A) They may be unable to sell their homes due to lack of interested buyers and/or the perceived values of the neighborhood.
B) If they are able to sell, they may be subject to a depreciated home value of $30-40K. Realtors have reported that it is difficult to show homes to families within the Kenwood zone.
2. There has been minimal input from residents prior to this implementation, and an urgent request from CMCSS for parents to choose their students school for next year. This was due to inadequate notice on the part of CMCSS.
A) There was one meeting on January 3, 2017.
B) Residents were not mailed notices advising them of the meeting.
C) Residents were not called by CMCSS's telephonic system to advise them of the meeting.
D) Students were not given notification(s) of any formal hearing, to take home to parents/homeowners.
E) There was no reparations for homeowners in the neighborhood that do not have school age students.
F) Only a handful of residents knew, and only five attended the one "hearing," the date of which transpired on the last day of the Winter School Break.
G) Those that did attend, were given minutes to speak and reported that the school board had already decided that this rezoning was going to happen, prior to even receiving any feedback from Sugar Tree homeowners.
H) The majority of the neighborhoods parents were completely unaware of this rezoning, until Feb 6, 2017, when they received letters advising them of the upcoming change.
I) That letter from CMCSS requested that parents return the letter with their choice of schools for the 2017-18 school year, in only 5 DAYS.
J) This is the SECOND time that this neighborhood has had a zoning change. The first being a change from Northeast schools to West Creek schools.
K) The TN Open Meetings Act dictates, "Any such governmental body which holds a meeting, previously scheduled by statute, ordinance, or resolution shall give adequate public notice of such meeting."
L) There were only twenty nine (29) business days by your offices own admission, from the boards "suggestion" to a permanent change for the next school year.
3. CMCSS has indicated that it will NOT provide ANY transportation to West Creek schools from the Sugar Tree subdivision.
A) This creates undue hardship on dual working parents and single parents, who either have to change their work schedules to transport their students, or pay for someone else to transport their child to and from school each day.
B) Parents with younger siblings at home, would be required to go with the parent, in order to transport the older siblings to school.
C) Families impacted by the lack of CMCSS transportation, may suffer financial hardships in order to transport their students to West Creek.
D) Federal and State funds are provided to CMCSS for each and every students transportation. There has been no information forthcoming from the board on how these funds are going to be sent to parents who opt to remain and transport their own children to West Creek Schools.
These are the topics which I would like to review with the board on Tuesday, February 28th. At that time, I will be requesting that if the entire re-zone is not voided due to lack of adequate notice, that at a minimum, our neighborhood be wholly exempt from the rezoning change.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Shannon Kinkle
775 Sugarcane Way
Ckarksville, TN 37040
We have an opportunity to meet the board and request the change
on Tuesday, February 28th at 6pm.
If you are a resident of our neighborhood, a student impacted by the change, or a supportive community or family member please be there and let's get this fixed!
Second Floor in the CMCSS district office building.
The address is: 621 Gracey Avenue, Clarksville, TN.
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