Hoover Schools Unveil New Zoning Plan, Schedule Meetings For Parent Feedback
After months of input from the public and from the federal government, Hoover City Schools presented a proposed rezoning plan Thursday to more than a hundred people at Metropolitan Church of God.
Everyone from parents to taxpayers to the Department of Justice is watching Hoover’s rezoning process — an issue that has stirred controversy in the past.
Hoover Superintendent Kathy Murphy says goals of the plan include efficient use the district’s 17 school buildings and cutting travel times for students while complying with a 45-year-old desegregation court order.
“There are desegregation obligations which we must, and should, and will make sure that we’re honoring,” Murphy said at Thursday’s meeting.
Many of the changes in the complex plan have to do with grade-level configurations. Roughly 2,500 students – about 18 percent of the student body – would end up in different school zones. Parents can check on their kids’ zones at HooverReZoning.com.
“We have some schools underutilized,” said Murphy. “And we have some of our schools, if you will, that are really pushing capacity. And they’re a bit strained and stressed.”
There are four smaller meetings scheduled in the district this month. Unlike Thursday’s presentation, those meetings will include public feedback. School officials hope to have a final plan approved by the school board in March and by a federal court in April.
Additional reporting for this story provided by Dan Carsen.
Hoover City Schools
The draft of Hoover City School zones released Thursday, February 4. Click the map to see a larger version.
Shark attack survivor presses Alabama for an alert system to keep people safe in the water
Lulu Gribbin was one of three people bitten by a shark during a string of attacks off the Florida Panhandle. On Wednesday, she asked Alabama lawmakers to support a proposed shark attack alert system.
Reflections after 43 years in an Alabama prison
James Jones is one of thousands of men who served life without parole in an Alabama prison. He spent 43 years at the St. Clair Correctional Facility before being released at the age of 77.
U.S. stocks slide again as euphoria over Trump’s tariff pause starts to fade
U.S. stocks fell a day after posting spectacular gains over President Trump's decision to pause many of his tariffs. Now, some of that relief is starting to fade.
Aging former research chimps move to Chimp Haven
All of the former research chimpanzees that had been living on an Air Force base in New Mexico have finally arrived at a sanctuary in Louisiana. Many of these chimps are in their 50s and 60s.
U.S.-Russia ballerina freed in prisoner swap
Ksenia Karelina, jailed over a $50 donation to Ukraine, released after U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.
Healing soup recipes, Part 2: Definitely not your grandma’s chicken soup!
The second installment of our soup-a-thon. Vicky Hallett and Genevieve Villamora, correspondents. Marc Silver, digital editor. Radio interview ran last week. Digital publishing Thursday at 7 a.m.
