COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Tuesday, Richland School District Two approved new school zoning lines for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The new zoning lines affect five elementary schools, including Bethel-Hanberry, Langford, Lake Carolina Elementary - lower and upper campuses, and Round Top.
"It was hard enough in kindergarten to get her to go to school from preschool," said Richland Two parent Cynthia Signore. "And now it's another change that I have to deal with."
Signore is one of many who have to move their child to a different school.
"Now she has to get used to a different school, a different environment," Signore said. "So, now we're talking about having to deal with kids' mental well-being now because they have to get accommodated to a new environment, new space, new everything."
The Director of Planning for Richland Two, William Simon, told News 19 the changes are meant to address the overcrowding at Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School (BHES).
"We also saw opportunity to balance enrollment across multiple schools," Simon said. "We are keeping our schools equitable, keeping our classroom sizes manageable and small, and we have opportunities to improve our transportation routes."
Rising 5th grade students will be given the option of finishing their last year at their current school. Siblings of the 5th-grade exemptions have the choice of staying one year at their current school or attending the newly-zoned school.
Transportation will not be provided for choice students.
Other parents impacted by the new zoning are against the changes as well, including Jason Custodial, who said his 10-year-old son currently attends BHES, but will now have to travel further to attend Langford.
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"I'm not too happy about it," Custodial said. "I would rather leave him where he's at because it's actually a little closer and more convenient for us. He's already used to it. We know the teachers, we know the administration. So, it kinda makes no sense to start over."
For Amanda Goolsby, the new zoning changes would make their commute easier.
"We looked at the changes, and thought how nice it would be just to be able to take him across the street almost for him to just go to school," Goolsby said. "Even better for him to ride his bike or walk or any of that, just to have him close."
Goolsby's son currently attends Round Top Elementary thanks to an opt-in option through the sibling option. He was originally assigned to Langford Elementary, which was about a 15 minute drive, depending on traffic.
Goolsby said with the new lines, her neighborhood is across the street from the new assigned school, Lake Carolina-Upper Campus.
"The proximity to our neighborhood, it could be a game-changer," Goolsby told News 19. "If someone is open to just going to another school, I think it could be a good thing."