Albemarle is 149 students over capacity, according to current enrollment numbers and the Redistricting Advisory Committee.

At the current projected rate of growth, the school would be 200 students over capacity by the time the current freshmen are seniors. Therefore, the County is looking to redistrict some students to Monticello High School to alleviate the overcrowding.

The Redistricting Advisory Committee has been discussing three options since April, and on Oct. 6 made a final recommendation to the Superintendent. The Committee recommended moving students who live on Route 20 north of Profit Road, Rio Road east of the railroad tracks (Dunlora) and Rio Road east of Abingdon Crossing to Pine Haven to Monticello High School. This option would free up about 216 seats at AHS.  

This is only a recommendation. The board will make the final decision at some date in November. Families that would be affected by the redistricting for next school year would be notified in December.

Any student who already attends AHS or has a sibling who is in the ACPS district will be allowed to finish their high school career at AHS. This is called the grandfathering clause.   

“I’m really glad they are grandfathering us in. I don’t want to leave AHS and all of my friends,” sophomore Jesse McDaniel said

“It would really suck to leave AHS, I already have so many friends here,” sophomore Sam Mackey said. Mackey also said he does, however, have quite a few friends that would be moved to MHS.

While current students would be allowed to finish school here, the County would not provide bus transportation. While older students would be able to drive to school, younger students would need to create carpools and rely on parents.

“I’m not sure if we’d be able to use the grandfathering. It’s something we would have to discuss with our parents,” Mackey said.  

The School Board voted on the redistricting and decided not to redistrict for the 2016-17 school year.