2010 Redistricting Project: A Community Led Process

About the Program

Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

Henrico County has experienced significant residential and commercial growth for more than fifteen years. This growth has been fostered by the quality of the county’s public school system, as well as other public services. The county’s student enrollment increased by 15,000 students (over 45%) since 1990 and the school division opened the equivalent of one school per year in response to residential growth. Accordingly, when new schools are constructed or others reach maximum capacity, school boundaries must be redrawn to balance school membership and capacity to achieve a consistent rate of utilization across the county. The impact of long-term growth has created the need for capacity relief in multiple non-contiguous schools at each level, and construction is underway for a new middle and high school scheduled to open in fall 2010. To address district wide membership and capacity issues and create attendance zones for the new schools, a county-wide study of attendance boundaries at the elementary, middle, and high school levels was required. Due to the scope of the redistricting needs and potential for impacting multiple communities in all school zones, a community-led process was developed for the 2010 redistricting project. A 70-member volunteer community committee was formed. The committee was divided into three subcommittees and members analyzed data, developed scenarios for attendance boundary options, presented scenarios to all residents of Henrico County, received and responded to community comments, adjusted scenarios and considered feeder patterns, finalized scenarios, and presented a recommendation to the School Board for consideration. This community committee established a broader and deeper level of community engagement in the redistricting process and brought a new level of objectivity to the process through participation of all school communities.