AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF)- The Aiken County board of education made a final decision at Tuesdays special called meeting on rezoning students to the new Highland Springs Middle School.

The board narrowed down four scenarios to populate students.

“So we put together six different options for the district about two month three meetings ago the board decided that scenarios 3 and 4 just didn’t fit as to what the district was looking for so scenarios 1,2, 5 and 6 for brought forward in order to populate the new school,” Dr. Lance Richard, MGT consulting.

Dr. Richards presented a demographic outline to the board as to how the school will be populated. After a thorough discussion amongst board members, they chose scenario 1.

“I believe the board chose scenario one because it balanced the needs of both areas two and  three and if the students were to leave their current home school they got the advantage of going to the new school,” said Dr. Richards.

The board had some concerns about parents being inconvenienced when switching their kids to the new school and bus transportation.

“It’s not going to make a new area or anything like that those buses Will still stay in their appropriate areas kind of similar to how we run Aiken high in South Aiken” said Rashad Roland, Transportation supervisor.

Parents have had the opportunity to weigh in on the different options given.  

“Once we completed community engagement those questions then were shared as a survey on the districts website so all of the parents in the community got an opportunity to weigh in.” 

Board members also  say they took time to make sure this option is the best option to bring students into the new school.