After more than three months of discussion and negotiations in a disagreement that involved hundreds of parents and students in two neighboring counties, the transfer issue for the Lake and Sebastopol students living in the Newton County School District has been settled for the next five years.
Late last week, the Newton County School Board and the Scott County School Board reached an agreement concerning Newton County student transfers for the 2017-2018 school year.
The two boards have agreed that all children receiving transfers shall be allowed to attend school in Sebastopol and Lake for the 2017-2018 academic year.
The NCSD board voted to change the policy at its March 9 meeting, and the district sent letters to parents of students in Newton County who had been attending schools in Union, Lake and Sebastopol stating that the NCSD would not grant transfers for the upcoming school year unless they fell within a legally recognized exception.
The change was estimated to impact more than 100 students who live near Union, Lake and Sebastopol but are technically still within the Newton County School District.
According to an official statement from the NCSD, the children transferred from the Newton County School District to the Scott County School District who are enrolled in the graduating classes of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 shall be allowed to graduate from the school in the transferee school district as long as their resident address does not change.
Further, the brother(s) and sister(s) of said children may also, in the discretion of the parents, continue attending the transferee school until such time as the 2018-2021 sibling graduates.
The NCSD Board came to the agreement at a special called meeting on Thursday.
J.O. Amis, superintendent of Newton County Schools, stated that he values the relationship between Scott County and Newton County School Districts and looks forward to working with families for a smooth transition in the future.
Tony McGee, superintendent of Scott County, said he would like to thank both boards for working to find a resolution for the families of Newton and Scott counties.
