This part of Lexington is growing so fast, the search is on for yet another school site

Fayette County Public School officials are looking for land for a new elementary school in the Hamburg area.

At the same time, a redistricting committee is deciding which students will attend a new elementary under construction on Athens Boonesboro Road.

At the committee ‘s first meeting last week, Fayette chief operating officer Myron Thompson told members of the redistricting committee that a demographics firm advising the school district is recommending yet another elementary school, this one in Hamburg.

"Right now I'm just looking for property. Once we sort of zero in on that it typically takes about a year to design and about 18 months to construct,” he said.

Thompson said he was also looking for land to buy for a new middle school.

School officials decided not to buy land for the middle school in the new Peninsula development off Squires Road because asbestos was found on it.

The new school at 4801 Athens-Boonesboro will open in the fall of 2019. It will have 750 students. Rezoning will pull from students at Garrett Morgan Elementary, Athens Chilesburg Elementary (ACE), and Squires Elementary.

Approximately 150 to 200 students who will live in new housing areas will be phased in to the Athens Boonesboro school when those homes are built.

Steve Hill, district pupil personnel director, said the redistricting panel and school officials will be transparent with Lexington parents as the plan is developing.

Opened in 2016, Garrett Morgan Elementary is one of the newest public schools in Fayette County, but the district is already placing portable classroom units there for the 2018-19 school year due to overcrowding. The school is at 1150 Passage Mound Way. It had 748 students at the end of the 2017-18 school year and and was built for 650.

Athens-Chilesburg Elementary at 930 Jouett Creek Drive also has portables and is often described as one of the district's most overcrowded elementary schools. It had 786 students at the end of 2017-18 and was built for 650.

There will be a community forum in July about the redistricting plan and a presentation to the school board in August.

Student socio-economic status will be a primary consideration in the assignment of neighborhoods to schools in an effort to balance the economic diversity of students in every school.

District officials say they want students to be able to attend their neighborhood school.

The cost of transportation will be considered as boundary lines are drafted.

The committee of school district representatives, parents and people representing home builders, realtors, the city and Commerce Lexington will meet next at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Garrett Morgan Elementary.

Middle and high school school students will not be affected by this round of redistricting.

This story was originally published June 10, 2018 at 7:11 PM with the headline "This part of Lexington is growing so fast, the search is on for yet another school site."