Some parents hope to save Cabarrus County elementary school

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Parents spoke out Monday night against major redistricting plans in Cabarrus County.

The district wants to fill the new Royal Oaks Elementary School in Kannapolis with students, which could mean big changes for other schools, including the potential closing of one.

Most parents were against closing Beverly Hills Elementary School.

They said the plan would hurt children and parents and lower property values.

The Cabarrus County School Board is looking at four different proposals to fill Royal Oaks, three of which would close Beverly Hills.

Those plans could affect students from Charles E. Boger, Winecoff and W.M. Irvin elementary schools.

Lee Schuman has a child at Beverly Hills Elementary School. He supported the 2014 bond that helped rebuild Royal Oaks.

"We thought we were setting a precedent for neighborhood schools to be rebuilt,” Schuman said. “We didn't realize we were voting for the replacement of our own school."

He and other parents said Beverly Hills was targeted because of its age and smaller size, but parents said Beverly Hills is surrounded by young families who moved to Concord because of it.

They said the district should move to renovate instead of tearing it down.

• [READ MORE: Concord elementary school could close under redistricting plan]
• [LINK: Royal Oaks Boundary Options]
• [LINK: Community Information and Feedback Sessions]

School officials are also facing another big decision with changes made to a controversial sex survey in the district.

District leaders heard from officials about a new sex survey for middle schoolers. Channel 9 reported that the last survey was scrapped due to parental concerns.

The survey came about after the Cabarrus Health Alliance received a grant. The goal of the survey for eighth-graders was to decrease teen pregnancy rates.

Some said a few of the original questions about sexual activity were too personal and too specific.

The survey asked eighth-graders whether they've touched private parts and who they have chosen to have sex with.

The survey was pulled after parents expressed concerns that the content was inappropriate. Several changes have since been made to the survey so students can retake it next year.

Some questions the new survey asks are:

• In the past three months, have you practiced sexual abstinence?
• Do you think parent opinions about dating are important?
• Have you ever used drugs or alcohol?
• Have you been insulted, teased, harassed or otherwise verbally abused?

Parents would have the option of letting their children opt out.

There will be a vote on Nov. 20 on whether to implement the survey.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Texas church attack leaves 26 dead, small community reeling
• Video: Florida police officer punch woman in face at football game
• Redistricting, sex survey hot-button topics at Cabarrus Co. school board meeting
• WATCH: Keith Monday's Monday forecast outlook
• Bystander, neighbor chase gunman who killed 26 at Texas church
• Teens crash stolen car into house following carjacking, police chase

Cox Media Group