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Students urge board to slow redistricting; superintendent outlines timeline and public comment period
Summary
Three Grisel Middle School students told the Dublin City Schools board that proposed redistricting would separate long‑time friends and cause emotional stress; Superintendent Dr. Marshhausen described the district's timeline, community engagement plans and Cropper GIS mapping schedule.
Three sixth‑grade students from Grisel Middle School told the Dublin City Schools Board of Education that proposed redistricting will separate them from longtime friends and harm students' mental health.
"We are not just numbers or places on a map," student Alana Kirkpatrick told the board. "Please think about what it feels like for kids when big changes like this happen. We want to be a part of the decision, not just told what's going to happen."
Dr. Marshhausen, superintendent of Dublin City Schools, acknowledged the students' concerns and described the district's redistricting timeline. She said Cropper GIS is gathering data now, internal planning will begin in late spring and a public session from Cropper is scheduled for August to explain the key indicators used to draw proposed maps. Proposed maps will be revealed Sept. 29 at Jerome and Kaufman; the board will present a final plan at Scioto High School on Nov. 10. The district will accept public comments between Sept. 29 and Oct. 12, Marshhausen said.
"Between September 29 and October 12, we will be accepting public comments," Dr. Marshhausen said. "Cropper read every comment, changes were made when appropriate, and we will continue to remind folks that there will be competing interests."
Board members and staff also addressed why the district faces redistricting: a housing study layered on enrollment projections shows continued growth through the 2020s, the superintendent said, and municipal boundary and zoning controls across multiple counties and townships create constraints the school board cannot control.
Resident Rick asked when the district expects to be "saturated" with development; the superintendent said the layered housing and enrollment projections currently indicate saturation in the early 2030s and that the district expects to manage with its three high schools plus planned additions.
The board recognized the students' testimony and encouraged families to participate in the upcoming public sessions and comment window. No policy or boundary decision was made at the meeting; the district emphasized the upcoming mapping, comment period and later board action dates.
Ending: The district scheduled detailed public sessions and a comment period this fall; the board asked community members to review materials and offer feedback when proposed maps are released.
