BA School Board Delays Vote On New Redistricting Plans

Monday night, the Broken Arrow School Board discussed the new redistricting boundaries that would affect about 1,000 students.

The board decided to table the issue of the new boundaries for the elementary and middle school kids until the next meeting due to so many questions from parents and administrators.

Many parents are upset with the possibility of changing schools. Parent Sean Parrish said this would be the second time in three years his kids would have to change schools.

“It's like feeling like a pawn on a chess table, just being moved from one side to another side," he said.

Parrish said this isn't the first time his neighborhood - Oak Creek South - has been shifted to another district, and he doesn't want his kids disrupted again.

“For the first year and a half after they redistricted him, every day he'd come home, ‘Daddy, I don't want to go back to school. Don't make me go back to school. I want to go back to my old school.’ Well, now he's comfortable where he is and has friends, and now they want to switch him again," said Parrish.

The school board decided to hold off on voting in order to give the subcommittees more time to discuss the new boundaries after an overwhelming amount of questions from parents and administrators.

11/29/2016 Related Story: Hundreds Of BA Students Impacted By District Boundary Changes

Broken Arrow Schools said when the lines are voted and final parents will still have the option of applying for a transfer, something Parrish said he'll be doing if his neighborhood is affected.

“We will apply for a transfer, and if they deny our transfer I'll take it a step further, I'll sell my house and move,” he said.

Broken Arrow Schools said it will look at each transfer individually and that parents should keep in mind that if they apply for the transfer their child won't be eligible for school transportation.