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Gadsden board begins public process on possible consolidation of Berino Elementary
Summary
The board discussed community meetings, rezoning analysis and demographic forecasts as it considers consolidating Berino Elementary. Staff scheduled additional parent meetings and will provide boundary maps, transfer data and facility age information.
Gadsden Independent School District leadership opened a public review of a possible consolidation of Berino Elementary, scheduling additional community meetings and committing to provide attendance‑zone options and demographic analyses to inform the board’s decision.
Superintendent Dempsey said staff held a staff meeting Sept. 22 and public meetings Sept. 23 and that an online survey is posted on the district website. He told the board that the district has engaged a vendor to create attendance‑zone options and will present current boundaries and in‑district/out‑of‑district transfer data at community meetings.
Board members and community speakers raised questions about the age of the Berino campus, student travel and how dual‑language programs would be handled if students are rezoned. Parents and grandparents at the meeting emphasized transportation and childcare concerns, saying long bus rides and lost access to neighborhood schools would create hardships for working families and grandparents who regularly provide child care.
District staff said they will: provide exact establishment dates and age information for the Berino facility; make rezoning proposals available in advance; offer Spanish translation at meetings and stream meetings online; and host at least two community meeting times to increase access. The district also plans to run proposed rezoning options past the transportation provider to review bus routes and cost impacts.
No vote was taken; the item remains a discussion and staff will return with detailed rezoning scenarios and data from the demographic/vendor analysis.
