Columbia County Board of Education approves rezoning plan

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – The Columbia County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to approved its proposed rezoning plan.

Leaders said the new zones will last years into the future.

The changes were needed because of the opening of the new Westmont and North Columbia Elementary Schools, the closing of South Columbia Elementary, and growth in the county.

Waivers will only be granted if there is a hardship or medical issue.

However, current 9th-11th grade students who opt to provide their own transportation and remain in their current zone will be required to sign a waiver for athletic eligibility.

“Everyone’s going to get a quality education regardless of what school they attend,” said Associate Superintendent Penny Jackson.

The closure of South Columbia Elementary and the opening of the new Westmont Elementary which is located on the same site as it previously occupied will impact the following schools:

Blue Ridge, Brookwood, Evans Elementary, Lewiston, and Martinez Elementary

The area going from South Columbia to Blue Ridge Elementary is:

Petersburg Station, Magnolia Trace, El Cordero, Phillips Estates, Village at Riverwatch, and Old Petersburg Plantation
Addresses north of River Watch Pkwy between Stage Coach Way and Baston Rd.

The areas being moved back to Westmont Elementary from Evans Elementary are (the students at the locations listed below were moved temporarily two years ago during the building process):

Students living on Hillcrest Drive, Oak Ridge Road, Misty Cove Court, and in Wymberly.
North Belair Road Area– Students living in the neighborhoods accessed by Samarya Lane, Minnow Lane, Glenora Drive, Pinewood Drive, Hickory Drive, and Pineland Drive.

The new areas that are being moved from Evans Elementary to Westmont Elementary are:

Emerson and Pendleton Place at Crawford Creek
Roads within Crawford Creek connected to and including Sinclair Drive, Lillian Park Drive, and Wayne Drive
Glennwood and Evanston neighborhoods
Addresses on the east side of North Belair between Owens Road and Pineland Drive
Edwards Drive and Morningside Drive

The area going from South Columbia to Evans Elementary is:

Addresses and roads off of Rountree Way
Addresses and roads off of River Watch Parkway between Washington Road and Columbia Industrial Blvd. (Near Pizza Joint and Lowes Area)
Addresses south of River Watch Parkway between Columbia Industrial Blvd and Old Evans Road (Connor Place and Lakeside on River Watch).

The areas being moved back to Westmont Elementary from Martinez Elementary are (the students at the locations listed below were moved temporarily two years ago during the building process):

Students living on Dewey Drive, Highview Drive, Pecan Drive, South Belair Road between Oakley Pirkle Road and Columbia Road.
Students living east of South Belair Road.

The new areas that are being moved from Martinez Elementary to Westmont Elementary are:

Hickory Grove, Shadowmoor, Sedgefield, Moss Creek, Ashton Woods, and West Lynne Neighborhoods off of Columbia Road.
Addresses and roads south of Owens Rd from Marty Dr to Washington Rd.
Belmont Apartments
Addresses on the east side of North Belair between Columbia Road and Pineland Drive

The area going from South Columbia to Martinez Elementary is:

All addresses and connecting neighborhoods off of Old Evans Road.
All neighborhoods and addresses south of River Watch Parkway from Blue Ridge Drive to Baston Road and north or Washington Road from Hightower Drive to Baston Road.

The areas being moved back to Westmont Elementary from Brookwood Elementary are (the students at the locations listed below were moved temporarily two years ago during the building process):

Red Oak Farm, Oakley Plantation, and Oak Lake West neighborhoods accessed by Meadowlake Drive, Oak Lake Drive, Cavalier Drive, Westmont Drive, Plantation Road, and Colonial Drive.
South Belair Road south of Oakley Pirkle Road
Area between Crawford Creek Place and South Belair Road on Oakley Pirkle Road

The new areas that are being moved from Brookwood Elementary to Westmont Elementary are:

In the area of S. Old Belair Road to include Cutter Mill Road, Perry Mill Circle, Mill Pond Court, Amelia Drive, Brookgreen Road, Millhollow Lane, Millbrook Road, Millhaven Road Addresses West of 4633 Millhaven Road

The areas being moved back to Westmont Elementary from Lewiston Elementary are (the students at the locations listed below were moved temporarily two years ago during the building process):

Orchard Hill, Kensington, Maple Creek, Brookwood, Baldwin Place, and The Hamptons.
Students living on Fall Creek Lane, Crawford Creek Place, South Old Belair between Columbia Road and Mural Lake Court, and Oakley Pirkle Road between South Old Belair and Crawford Creek Place.

The new areas that are being moved from Lewiston Elementary to Westmont Elementary are:

Addresses on N Old Belair Road between Columbia Rd and Longmeadow Dr.
Faithful Way and Orchard Place

The areas being moved from Grovetown Middle and Grovetown High zones to Evans Middle and Evans High zones are:

South of I-20 and east of Old Wheeler Road.
This includes any connecting roads to Old Wheeler Rd.
Includes any address or connecting roads east of Old Wheeler Road on Wrightsboro Rd.
Any connecting roads or neighborhoods off of Powell Rd.

The area being moved from Harlem Middle to Greenbrier Middle and Harlem High to Greenbrier High is:

Hwy 221 from Pollard’s Corner, across the dam, to the county line including Burns and Linder McCurdy Road.

The area being moved from Euchee Creek Elementary to North Columbia Elementary is:

Louisville Rd between I-20 and Columbia Rd and any connecting roads or neighborhoods in that area.
Columbia Road addresses between Louisville Road and High Meadows Drive and any connecting roads in that area.

The area being moved from North Harlem Elementary to North Columbia Elementary is: