Nassau County School District proposing rezoning changes to address crowding in Yulee schools

District leaders are addressing overcrowding in Yulee schools and parents Action News Jax spoke to aren't happy with their proposed plan to move their students to other schools within the county.

Close to 900 students go to schools in Fernandina Beach and more than 1,200 students are in Yulee schools, but the Nassau County School District is trying to even out those numbers.

"It's absolutely absurd," parent Victoria Fisher said.

The school board voted at its last meeting for a proposal to rezone the district.

If the proposal passes, Zone 1 -- for Fernandina Beach schools -- would now include everyone on Old Nassauville Road for the upcoming school year.

That means that students from Zone 2 who live on that road and go to schools in Yulee would be forced to go to a school in Fernandina Beach.

But soon-to-be senior Sara Maloy said she thinks the rezoning would become a never ending cycle.

"Everyone would have to move to Fernandina and then Fernandina would be overpopulated, so what are you going to do with the extra kids?" Maloy said.

And for parents like Billie Thrift, who said she moved to the area for the schools, the thought of taking her two kids elsewhere is upsetting.

"I think it's really inconvenient. To top it off, we personally want our kids to go to Yulee. That's why we live in this area," Thrift said.

The school district is giving parents the option to provide their own transportation to the school if they want to stay, but there’s an application process before it's approved.

“It makes it hard on parents that go to work at 7 in the morning, their kids have to catch the bus. They will have no option but to go to Fernandina," Fisher said.

Fisher said her daughter has been in Yulee schools since she was in elementary school and she wants to keep it that way.

"She's going into her high school years, all her friends are here, this is her life," Fisher said.

The school district will plan to make accommodations for students entering their senior year.

The vote is happening Feb. 23, and there will be three meetings next week to voice concerns.

Cox Media Group