The DeKalb School Board drew a line Monday night dividing DeKalb, Malta and Cortland students between the district’s two middle schools.

The board went with the proposal that was presented with the elementary school redistricting plan the board accepted March 2.

The approved plan sends students from Brooks, Jefferson, Littlejohn and Malta elementary schools to Clinton Rosette Middle School.

Students attending Tyler, Lincoln, Chesebro and Cortland will attend Huntley Middle School this fall.

Students at the NIU partnership school, Wright Elementary, will attend the middle school of their home elementary district.

The board delayed a decision on the middle school plan to further study the distribution of students between the two middle schools.

At current enrollment levels, 686 students will attend Clinton Rosette, while 563 will go to Huntley. One of the goals of the board was to achieve a balance in enrollment between the two schools.

When factoring in estimates of enrollment over the next three school years, the original plan seemed most logical, School Board President Tom Teresinski said.

Estimates prepared by district administration projected 670 students at Clinton Rosette in 2007-’08 and 584 at Huntley. Both schools have a capacity of approximately 750 students.

To implement both the elementary and middle school redistricting plans, the board also approved a reconfiguring of the grades and curricula at the middle schools.

Next year, both middle schools will teach sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Currently, Clinton Rosette teaches fifth and sixth grades, and Huntley teaches seventh and eighth grades.

The school board decided on a new class schedule option for next year at the middle schools. Students will have the chance to enroll in exploratory classes that will include aspects of history, science or other courses with reading and literature.

Board member Suzanne Lambrecht voted against the plan, citing a loss of instruction time in language arts for band and chorus students. She cited falling Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores over recent years as she opposed the plan.

Holly Wallace, a former opponent of the plan, changed her stance before the vote, swaying the tally in favor, 4-2.

Wallace said she studied the program issues and thought the issues were resolved as best as they could be.

“I feel comfortable with my decision,” Wallace said.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board went ahead with a tax break for the second, unnamed company interested in building a one million-square-foot or more warehouse and distribution center at Park 88.