A committee narrowed the options to two choices, and now it's up to the Moline school board to decide how they'll re-draw boundaries for their schools.
The new boundaries will be effective in the fall of 2015. The Moline School Board will vote on the boundaries on Monday, April 28, 2014.
"The opening of the new Hamilton School and the closing of Ericsson and Garfield schools require establishing new boundaries," a district statement said. "The district has not conducted a formal study of its boundaries since Jane Addams School reopened in the early 1990s."
More than two-dozen Boundaries Committee members began studying boundaries for Moline schools in June 2013. The committee used student distribution patterns, building capacities and other information to formulate two options for new school boundaries for the district. The two options were presented to the Moline Board of Education on April 14, 2014.
The first option moves current Ericsson students to Lincoln-Irving and current Garfield students to the new Hamilton School. Some students currently attending Lincoln-Irving would also move to Hamilton, along with a small number of students from Willard.
"This option moves fewer students but results in Lincoln-Irving being above its optimum capacity by approximately 50 students," the district statement said. A detailed explanation of the options says the first choice also means fewer students, overall, would have to change schools in 2015.
The second option, which district administrators are recommending, also moves current Ericsson students to Lincoln-Irving and current Garfield students to the new Hamilton School. In addition, some students who currently attend Logan, Jane Addams and Butterworth schools would move to Roosevelt.
"This proposal results in more students in climate-controlled settings and alleviates over-crowding," the statement said. Roosevelt is one of the few air conditioned buildings in the district, and the second boundaries option is expected to double the percentage of Moline school students who attend classes in air conditioned buildings. The second option is also recommended as the choice which supports district patrons' desires for reduced class size and for fewer split-level classes.
"Provisions for grandfathering fifth grade students and siblings are included in Option
Two for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years to minimize transitions and assist families throughout the process," the district statement said.
The Board of Education will vote on the boundary options at their meeting Monday at the Coolidge Professional Development Room, 3430 23rd Avenue. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.