Dublin City Schools revealed three proposed maps with new boundary lines for its three high schools Monday evening.
Though their two children have already graduated, Laura and Syed Ali came to Dublin Coffman High School on Monday ready to share their concerns.
"We're hoping to find out that they're not trying to segregate the schools by putting all of the students from the school district but Columbus tax neighborhoods all into one underserved high school," Laura Ali said.
Creating economic, cultural and ethnic diversity at each of the district's three schools is part of Dublin City Schools' criteria for redistricting, but as Syed Ali pointed out, it's just one factor, and will be weighed the same as all of the others. He said that concerned, him, too.
"Our two kids went to school here at Coffman and we know the quality of education and the infrastructure and the athletics programs that they have that are not the same at Scioto," Ali said.
"Our three high schools, Dublin Kauffman, Dublin Jerome, and Dublin Scioto, are incredible places for learning, but enrollment across the campuses is increasingly imbalanced."- Dublin City Schools Superintendent John Marschhausen
A growing district
Dublin City Schools last redistricted its high schools in the early 2000s when Dublin Jerome High School opened.
Dublin City Schools Superintendent John Marschhausen said the district's high school boundaries must be redrawn now due to the district's rapid growth.
Maps show over 5,000 students currently in attendance across the three schools, but that's expected to grow significantly in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, two of Dublin's High Schools are nearing capacity, with Scioto seemingly underutilized.
"Our three high schools, Dublin Kauffman, Dublin Jerome and Dublin Scioto, are incredible places for learning," Marschhausen said. "But enrollment across the campuses is increasingly imbalanced."
Projections show that, without the boundary changes, Jerome would exceed capacity within five years, while Scioto would be only about two-thirds full.
The first new draft map keeps the southern part of Dublin as one cohesive attendance area, moving students inside of I-270 to Scioto High School. Marschhausen said that alleviates some pressure at Jerome High School, which is in the area where the most of Dublin's growth has taken place.
A second map features more unorthodox boundaries and a small disconnected attendance area for Coffman High School at the southeastern most part of the city. Marschhausen said that this map focused more on socioeconomic balance.
The third and final option shares the most similarities with current boundary lines, though it pushes Coffman's northern boundary into an area that now belongs to Jerome, and still sweeps students within I-270 into Scioto.
Weighing the options
Marschhausen said the school district will weigh several factors equally when considering which map to choose. Those include diversity, proximity of neighborhoods to schools, efficient transportation routes, and natural boundaries like roadways and Dublin's river.
He said Dublin City Schools also wants to create contiguous zones, not "attendance islands" and to make sure there are clear feeder patterns from middle schools to high schools.
Marschhausen stressed that the three maps unveiled Monday are drafts and could still change.
Regardless of the outcome, students in grades 9, 10, and 11 will have the option to stay in the school where they're currently enrolled.
Current eighth graders who start high school next year will have to attend their prescribed school. The district will not make exceptions for siblings.
"I think it's important once a student starts their high school experience for them to be able to continue at that high school," Marschhausen said. "But we also understand that in some cases there may be younger siblings. And this gives families the choice. Do we want to have kids at multiple high schools at some point?"
"I understand that this process can be a catalyst for intense emotion and real anxiety."- Dublin City Schools Superintendent John Marschhausen
Taking feedback
Marschhausen said the district has added more than 527,000 square feet of education space since 2020 to accommodate the quickly growing student population. That includes three new elementary schools and additions at Dublin's preschool and Dublin Jerome High School. Marschhausen said an addition at Scioto High School is on schedule and in budget.
The district already redrew the boundaries for its elementary and middle schools, but Marschhausen said the redistricting process for the high school "requires a different level of public engagement."
"I understand that this process can be a catalyst for intense emotion and real anxiety," Marschhausen said.
The district is taking public input on its three proposed draft maps through Oct. 24.
The district's internal planning team will meet on Oct. 13 at its Emerald Campus in a meeting that will not have public participation, but will be livestreamed for the public.
Then, on Oct. 29, the Dublin Board of Education will meet at Dublin City Hall for a meeting that is open to the public.
The goal is to have a final map ready by the Nov. 10 board meeting. Marschhausen said that is just a few months before high school students begin scheduling classes for the next year.
"We want to give those families time to make their decision to decide if they want to stay or go to the new attendance area. And then we've got to start the scheduling and staffing process for the next school year," Marschhausen said.
Marschhausen understands some families will be frustrated with the process. But he said the district is doing its best to manage growth.
"We know that a fourth high school is extremely expensive. And by putting the additions on Jerome and now Scioto, we believe we're alleviating the need of a fourth high school," he said.
He said he hopes that as families provide feedback, they become comfortable with the process and will be happy with the outcome.
