Parents press board to pause SPAR rezoning; board sets community meetings
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Summary
Parents and board members debated a proposed North End rezoning. Parent representatives said SPAR Elementary is already over capacity; the board scheduled multiple community meetings and will consider the plan at work sessions and a public hearing in April.
Parents from SPAR Elementary and other North End neighborhoods urged the Marion County School Board to pause proposed rezoning plans and collect fuller community input before finalizing changes.
At the meeting, parent Kayla Bowman said the board had relied on incorrect enrollment figures and asked the board to postpone any decision, saying SPAR is "over 100% capacity" with more than 400 students and that a fast-track decision would leave families and staff little time to plan. The board acknowledged the concerns and reaffirmed a schedule of further community engagement.
Board members outlined a public timeline: a work session next Thursday at 9 a.m. to review rezoning updates, rule-making and development on April 2, and a rule-making public hearing on April 28. Specific community meetings were announced: SPAR Elementary on March 9 (5:30–6:30 p.m.), Reddick Collier on March 25 (5:30 p.m.) and Anthony Elementary on March 26 (5:30–6:30 p.m.). Vice Chair Lori Conrad said the board's forecasts were for the 2026–27 school year and provided capacity figures used in planning (SPAR 101% with 420 students; Reddick Collier 47% with 324 students).
Board members emphasized the process will include additional community input before any final action. The chair said no final decision would be made before the April 28 hearing.
Next steps: The board will continue community meetings and review the rezoning item at the scheduled work session, rule making and public hearing dates.