By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— After hosting two public input meetings concerning the proposed zoning plans for Pelham Oaks and Pelham Ridge elementary schools, the Pelham Board of Education approved Superintendent Dr. Scott Coefield’s zoning plan.

According to this plan, students in neighborhoods on County Road 11 and south of County Road 52 will attend Pelham Ridge Elementary, the new elementary school located at 251 Applegate Parkway.

Students living in Brookshire, Eagle Cove and Mallard Point neighborhoods as well as neighborhoods on County Road 72, County Road 361, County Road 68 and Green Park South will also attend Pelham Ridge.

Students in neighborhoods below County Road 52 who are north of County Road 68 and east of U.S. 31 will attend Pelham Oaks, formerly Valley Intermediate School

“We’ve had two community meetings, the website is really well developed,” Coefield said. “You can click and ask questions, look at the whole presentation (and) there’s been an email account set up for community input. We’ve received a total of nine emails in a city of 20,000 people. I really can’t image the process could’ve gone any better.”

In the meetings, Coefield discussed that the three biggest considerations for the plan were student demographics, building capacity and logistics.

Pelham Oaks will have approximately 614 students and 40.6 percent of those students qualify for free or reduced lunch. About 737 students will attend Pelham Ridge and about 44.6 are eligible for free or reduced lunches.

Pelham Ridge can hold 825 students and Pelham Oaks can hold 675. Coefield said both schools have room for growth in Pelham at about 10 or 12 percent.

The plan now, according to Coefield, is to finalize the staffing and logistical details and create the 2016-2017 school calendar. He explained that each school would be staffed with equally qualified kindergarten through fifth grade students.

He is also planning how all the teachers will move to their new classrooms. If the new elementary school building is not finished in time for the new school year, Coefield said he is creating a plan for that as well.

Coefield said he plans on presenting the moving plan to the board at the March 21 Board of Education meeting. Registration for the next school year will begin in April.

For a full list of zoning by neighborhood, visit Pelhamcityschools.org.