Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – At their formal meeting Tuesday, January 13, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously approved a new zoning plan for the 2015-2016 school year involving the new Oakland Elementary School, the school system’s 24th elementary school.
The school, now under construction and scheduled to open this August, is located at the intersection of Oakland and Current Roads near the northeast section of the county. Oakland is PK-5 with a capacity of 842 students and a projected enrollment of 702 students for the upcoming school year.
The recommendation for the zoning was presented to the school board December 2, followed by the information being made public and a public hearing on January 6. It was announced at Tuesday’s meeting there would be no changes made to the middle and high school zones in 2015-2016.
The rezoning means 128 students from Northeast Elementary and 574 students from Rossview Elementary will attend the new Oakland Elementary School. Part of the plan also includes 11 students from Rossview who will attend Carmel Elementary. The plan will not take effect until the new school year begins in August.
School system staff addressed some of the concerns of the families in neighborhoods affected by the zoning changes and said they will continue to work with those families as well as helping the students involved. School board chairman Jimmie Garland talked about the new zoning plan. “I have no doubt in my mind that the decision made tonight by our staff was in the best interest of our children,” said Garland.
Finally, both Chairman Jimmie Garland, and Director of Schools Dr. B.J. Worthington, encouraged school board members to attend the upcoming Community Listening Session being held at Fort Campbell. Dr. Worthington is set to do a presentation on schools at the meeting.
The session is on Tuesday, January 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Family Resource Center on Post. It will allow Fort Campbell and surrounding communities to learn more and share their concerns about proposed military budget cuts.