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Parents voice walkability and dual‑immersion concerns at Waterman during redistricting public hearing
Summary
At a March 4 public hearing on proposed attendance‑zone redistricting, parents urged the board to consider walkability, continuity for dual‑immersion students and special‑education transitions; board reminded speakers the board will decide at a work session and that the public may provide written comments.
The Harrisonburg City School Board held a public hearing March 4 on proposed redistricting of attendance zones and heard parents urge the board to weigh walkability, program continuity and special‑education transitions when making final decisions.
At the podium, Allison Garcia, a parent of a fourth grader who lives on Rockingham Drive, said she bought her house in 2008 for its walkability to Waterman Elementary and to access the division’s dual‑immersion program. "It is 0.8 miles from my house to Waterman," Garcia said, and she told the board her family relies on walking and neighborhood connections. She said a move to Bluestone — about three miles away — would remove walkability and would be a disruptive change as her son moves to fifth grade with an existing individualized education program.
Tom Moran, a former K‑12 teacher and current teacher educator at James Madison University who lives on Waterman Drive and has a child in the dual‑immersion program, told the board that neighborhood parks and community events anchor families and argued Waterman’s local connections and recent outreach by school leaders create a strong community fabric. Moran asked whether Bluestone could accommodate any dual‑immersion transfers that might result from redistricting.
Board process and next steps
School staff reminded speakers that the board had already collected significant emailed input and that the board planned to take a final vote at the March 18 work session. The administration also noted that while the March 18 work session will include calendar and budget hearings, it will not host another public hearing on redistricting; the March 4 public hearing and emailed comments are the designated public input opportunities.
Ending: The board closed the public hearing and encouraged public comment via email before the March 18 work session.
