FLEMING ISLAND — Parents voiced concerns regarding a Clay County School District rezoning measure that would move hundreds of students from Oakleaf to Orange Park schools.

The district is moving 452 students from Oakleaf High, which is at 108% capacity, to Orange Park. Ridgeview High also is set to receive 54 students from OHS. There are also about 200 students that will transition from Oakleaf Junior High to Orange Park Junior High. If approved, the changes would take place for the 2022-2023 school year.

At last week’s board meeting, board members unanimously approved to advertise the boundary changes and a public hearing is set for early December. Dozens of people attended community meetings last month.

Most of the areas changing zoning are in Argyle Forest. The district stated there are more than 10 communities planned for Oakleaf, necessitating moving some students to Orange Park, which is at 65% capacity.

Parent Paula Mason said one of her children was in OHS’ first graduating class in 2010 and another child graduated recently. Mason said she moved to the area for the high school. Her youngest child is a ninth-grader and Mason remarked switching to OPHS could lead to fewer programs for the student.

“That’s their school,” Mason said. “It’s our neighborhood school and it’s always been our neighborhood school.”

Adam Warren said he currently had one student in Oakleaf Junior-High and three in Argyle Elementary. Warren said he was concerned about traffic and transportation issues, and he felt parents were forced to send their children to an unsafe environment.

“As a parent, it’s our job to protect our kids at all costs,” Warren said.

Travel times to reach Orange Park High, which is on Kingsley Avenue and Blanding Boulevard, was another talking point. It was an additional six-to-eight miles to drive for most of the Argyle parents who spoke. Jessica Horne’s child attends Oakleaf Junior-High and the student planned to attend OHS.

“These parents and students are a part of the Oakleaf community,” Horne said.

Board member Mary Bolla’s district lies in Oakleaf, and she has fielded calls and emails pertaining to the issue. Bolla attended the opening of Argyle Elementary more than 15 years ago. The district will go through cycles in rezoning students, she said, and there isn’t an easy answer.

“It is a growing pain,” Bolla said. “It is painful, and as I said, it’s breaking my heart.”

Board member Ashley Gilhousen said there is a serious capacity issue at Oakleaf and the district had to fix it. She said the district didn’t take the decision lightly.

“No matter who is affected by this, they’re going to be upset whether it’s your neighborhood or another,” Gilhousen said.

Board member Beth Clark said Orange Park Junior-High and OPHS have new principals and parents should give them a chance. Board member Janice Kerekes asked if there were changes the district could make to the boundaries.

“I know staff really looked hard and close at it,” Kerekes said. “I understand families are being uprooted from the community that’s their home.”

Oakleaf High has about 2,700 students. That figure is difficult to track, board member and former principal Tina Bullock said.

“That makes it really hard for the administration and managing those kinds of things,” Bullock added. “We talk about class size, but school size is a critical thing in my opinion, too.”