The Paulding County Board of Education held a regular body meeting to discuss the upcoming plans for redistricting and to vote on the calendar alterations.

The board plans to redistrict attendance boundaries for the upcoming school year to balance the student population across campuses.

The schools have experienced an overwhelming and disproportionate amount of students. To alleviate this issue are the numerous additions being made to the high schools, which will level population at 1,800 students per high school, and 1,200 students per elementary school. During the general meeting, both a parent and a student came forward to voice their opinion about the realignment.

“Leave the current residents at Seven Hills together,” said Heather Durden a concerned parent.

Ms. Durden spoke on behalf of Seven Hills in the Shelton Elementary School district. Her primary focus was on keeping the community of Seven Hills intact. She pleaded to the board to keep the boundaries in their current state.

The rezoning could have deep backlash on the students such as their academic performance including test scoring and daily participation and grades, and also disrupt their formative sociality.

Ms. Durden submitted three points for consideration as alternatives.

The first point was to balance the communities geographically.

The second option presented was to redistrict communities as a whole and the third option was to redistrict using Old Cartersville Road.

Another consideration for the board was the transportation costs and inconvenience of transporting students to a new school creating what could be a once one-mile travel and turning it into five miles.

A student expressed fear about having to transfer to another school, insisting they are happy where they currently learn.

The student expressed that there would be a loss of sociality in losing friends.

They fear entering even potentially hostile environments being unknown new students, should redistricting send them away from their current school.

The board advised that they will discuss the redistricting and the public feedback amongst themselves.

Those proposed boundaries will finally be decided by Tuesday.