At Tuesday’s Board of Education work session, the Forsyth County school system released its proposed timeline for the redistricting process which will populate Poole’s Mill Elementary and relieve overcrowding at surrounding schools in the next year.

Poole’s Mill Elementary, the county’s 22nd elementary school which is currently under construction on Heardsville Road in northwest Forsyth, is reportedly on track to open for the 2020-21 school year in August 2020. But before the new school opens, the system will have to go through the process of redrawing attendance zones in the surrounding area.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Schools Joey Pirkle’s presentation to the board on Tuesday, the redistricting process for Poole’s Mill will potentially impact attendance zones at Sawnee, Matt, Kelly Mill, Silver City and Coal Mountain elementary schools.

Middle and high school attendance zones will not change for the 2020-21 school year.

Here’s what we know about the proposed redistricting timeline:

·         Sept. 17 — Redistricting timeline goes before Board of Education for approval

·         Oct. 8 — Draft redistricting map presented to Board of Education

·         Oct. 9 to 23 — Draft redistricting map online feedback period

·         Oct. 21 — Redistricting public forum at North Forsyth High School

·         Nov. 12 — Public input discussion by Board of Education

·         No. 19 — Final redistricting map goes before Board of Education for approval

·         Dec. 2 to Jan. 17 — Out of district application period

Previously, school system officials said that they would be taking a number of criteria into consideration when determining the new attendance zones, like school feeder alignment, traffic patterns and school proximity.

Pirkle also said that during the redistricting process the school system will follow their standard practice of allowing rising fifth-grade students to stay at their elementary school for their final year. Students that elect to stay at their school will have to provide their own transportation, he said.

"That applies to any siblings they have for the one year only," he said.

Future updates to the redistricting process will be found at www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/redistricting.