Heron Bay residents.
By: Sharon Aron Baron
On Wednesday, parents had the opportunity to ask their school board members questions in their “Conversation with the District” event at Coral Springs High School.
On their mind were the recent proposals involving boundary changes affecting Parkland schools which threatened to divide one community and send many on buses far away from their homes.
Superintendent Robert Runcie, along with School Board Members Robin Bartleman, and Abby Freedman, led the discussions with audience members who submitted questions in advance.
Residents from the Coral Springs and Parkland community of Heron Bay as well as those who have purchased or contracted homes in the newly developed “wedge” area of Parkland, were concerned that their community may be broken up or will be bussed to other schools to meet class size requirements. See Boundary Proposals
Heron Bay parents wore orange T-shirts with “Heron Bay equals Heron Heights” and protested against the submitted preliminary proposals that could potentially break up the Heron Bay community.
“I think it’s important that we currently do not displace currently enrolled children in Heron Heights,” one parent said.
Freedman submitted six proposals for boundary changes to meet class size requirements to accommodate all the new homes built in the new communities in Parkland. One resident told the school board members that many families hadn’t had a voice yet to complain about the proposals because many haven’t moved in yet.
The new proposals include unbuilt homes within the boundaries for Heron Heights to attend schools like Deerfield Beach or Park Springs Elementary School.
Those in middle school would attend Deerfield Beach or Forest Glen Middle School, and those slated to go to Stoneman Douglas would be assigned to either Coral Springs High School or Blanche Ely High School.
Freedman’s answer to the overcrowding of schools in Parkland: Demand Broward County Public Schools build another school.
“It is my hope that your passion will be brought to the superintendent so that he sees how critical it is that a school be built,” said Freedman.
With over 25,000 empty seats in Broward County schools, it was very unlikely that a new public school would be built, said one official who did not want to be named.
The boundary proposals are still preliminary at this time. Want to join the Save Heron Bay Facebook page? Save Heron Bay.
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