Forsyth County Schools kicked off the redistricting process to populate its next two schools scheduled to open in 2021.

During the Forsyth County Board of Education’s work session on Tuesday, Sept. 8, deputy superintendent Joey Pirkle presented members with a timeline to come up with school district boundaries for Hendricks Middle School and East Forsyth High School by the board’s regular meeting on Nov. 17.

Forsyth County Schools staff will present the first draft of redistricting maps at the board’s Oct. 13 work session. Public forums will follow to get input from the community: one for Hendricks at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22, at Forsyth Central High School, and another for East Forsyth at 6 p.m. on Oct. 27, at North Forsyth High School.

The board will discuss public input, review staff recommendations and any proposed changes at its Nov. 10 work session before approving the final map of school zones for Hendricks and East Forsyth during its regular meeting on Nov. 17.

The schools were budgeted to cost a collective $125 million to build with the aim of relieving overcrowding at nearby schools.

Hendricks is expected to pull students from Liberty, Otwell and Vickery Creek middle schools. Some students at North Forsyth Middle School could also be impacted, Pirkle said. 

East Forsyth will start with students who are currently zoned for Forsyth Central and North Forsyth high schools, but some students at West Forsyth High School are also expected to be impacted by the new school's opening.

Some students and their siblings affected by the redistricting can stay at their current school for the 2021-22 school year, Pirkle said, as long their families provide transportation. Or families can submit an out-of-district request during the application period that runs from Dec. 1, 2020 to Jan. 18, 2021.

Located off Hyde Road in West Forsyth, Hendricks will accommodate 1,500 students when completed and be led by Cheryl Riddle, the former principal at Liberty. 

East Forsyth expects to start with grades 9-11 and eventually have approximately 2,215 students on its campus off Jot Em Down Road. Former South Forsyth and North Forsyth principal Jeff Cheney was selected to lead East Forsyth.

Correction (Friday, Sept. 11, 11:05 a.m.): A previous version of this story said that East Forsyth High School would start with 2,215 students in grades 9-11. That's incorrect. The new high school is being built to hold approximately 2,215 students in grades 9-12.