The lines are drawn

School board members will get their first look at a proposed redrawing of district lines to help determine which students will go to the new high school once it is built.

During a 2 p.m. workshop Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the board office, Hernando County School District staff will present proposed rezoning for school boundaries to board members before moving forward with plans to meet with area parents whose children would be affected by the change.

Jim Knight, director of student services, said last month he hopes the proposals will answer board members' questions about the project so that meetings could be scheduled in December and January to discuss plans to phase in about 600 ninth- and 10th-graders to the new school once it's completed. Those students will transfer from Central and Springstead high schools. Juniors and seniors won't be disrupted after having already attended their school for two to three years. Each year a new batch of freshmen would be added so that by 2012 the new school would have all grade levels represented.

According to school documents, the new high school would reach 83 percent of its 1,529 student capacity by 2012 while Central and Springstead high schools would remain close to the same capacity they are now - Springstead remaining about 3 percent over capacity of 1,670 students and Central reaching 96 percent fulfillment of its 2,169 capacity. Hernando High School is expected to inch closer to its full capacity of 1,760 from 90 percent utilization to reaching 96 percent capacity.

School board members are also expected to elect the new board chairman and vice chairman of the board.

Earlier this year, former chairwoman Dianne Bonfield stepped down in protest of the appointment of Sonya Jackson as interim superintendent. Jackson stepped into the position in September following former superintendent Wayne Alexander's departure.

In other business, board members will:

Review Senate Bill 1908, which requires significant change in how high schools are graded in the 2009-10 school year. The law requires an equal focus not only on testing, but on access to rigorous, accelerated coursework, as well as performance, college readiness and graduation rates.

Consider an administrator pay scale for assistant principals through school superintendents.

Discuss construction of a K-8 elementary school located near the new high school along U.S. 19 and direct staff whether to construct the entire K-8 as originally designed but only fill the K-5 component for the first year. Grades 6, 7 and 8 would be added as needed. Or board members could cancel the project until a later date among other options.

Whether to proceed with a waiver application for the gymnasium, baseball/softball and football bleacher seating, since they are currently not accessible to all grade levels. School staff members report that the cost would be "huge" to make every seat accessible.