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GREENSBORO — Guilford County Schools officials want the district to change its plans for construction of new classrooms and facilities for students who are autistic.

Officials with the district’s exceptional education department asked the school board Tuesday to reduce the number of autism wings scheduled to be added to Guilford County schools from three to two. Officials say the change will better serve families.

Voters approved adding wings for autistic students with the passage of the 2008 school-construction bond. The three wings were to be built onto Ragsdale High School, a new high school near the airport and a new southeast area elementary school. The new schools were approved under the 2008 bond.

Most students with disabilities are taught in traditional schools, either in general education or in self-contained classrooms. The autism wings are planned to serve severely affected students.

Betty Anne Chandler, the district’s executive director of Exceptional Children, told the board that as the building advisory team for the autism wings began to look at the distribution of families with autistic children throughout the county, it became clear the original plan put some of the facilities too far away.

Most of the families live inside the Greensboro and High Point city limits, according to school district information.

The team is recommending the board instead build larger wings at Ragsdale and at another location. The team did not offer a recommendation for the second wing.

Chandler said the Ragsdale wing would serve families in High Point, Jamestown and the southwest part of the county.

The plan originally called for 48 students at each wing. Under the recommended plan, the wings would serve up to 120 students each.

Chandler and her team say that having larger facilities would strengthen the sense of community among families, which would likely result in more parental support.

More students at one location would also allow for easier groupings by age and ability levels, they say, and could result in state-funded principal positions being available for the wings.

“I think this first and foremost will be good for our students,” said Alan Duncan, board chairman and a member of the building advisory team. “In addition, I think it’s more efficient use of our facilities.”

Officials believe building only two wings could save the district money, but the budget impact won’t be clear until the second location is determined.

But there are concerns among parents. Cherise Jones’ daughter attends Brooks Global Studies, but as her daughter gets older, Jones believes, she could be moved into one of the proposed sites.

Jones said some parents are disappointed they weren’t made aware of the possible change before this week’s recommendation.

“They were surprised it had gotten this far without them knowing it,” she said.

Other parents worry that having autism wings is a sign the school district is moving toward a less-inclusive education model, Jones said.

Officials said including students with disabilities in traditional schools and classes when possible remains a goal.

Chandler said she expected questions and concerns from parents and advised the board to gather public comment before making a decision.

The plan will be available for comment for 30 days on the school district’s Web site. The district will also hold a public meeting on the issue later this month.

The school board is expected to take up the issue again at its meeting Dec. 17.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com