The Columbia School Board approved a revised version of an attendance area map and a transfer policy Monday night.
The map, known as “option two,” drew concern from a handful of public commenters who said the map had inequity issues. In this version, students eligible for free or reduced lunches rises to 55 percent at Battle High School and lowers to 18 percent at Rock Bridge High School.
During the discussion of inequity, district superintendent Peter Stiepleman said he had come to conclude that “it matters to be close to the high school as opposed to busing students great distances to go to those schools.”
Option two was voted most favorable by respondents to a survey posted by Scott Leopold, a consultant from firm Cooperative Strategies, who redrew the boundaries with input from the public and the board. The survey ran Dec. 20, 2018 through Jan. 14, 2019.
The board also passed a transfer policy that would allow all high school students to finish at the high school where they started. The rezoning policy starts in the 2020-21 school year.
For more details, visit columbiamissourian.com or the district’s website.