School districts at times need to implement structural and programmatic changes requiring students to attend a different school, which tends to elicit strong parental emotions. This qualitative study analyzes how parents in one suburban Rhode Island district responded to a large-scale redistricting at the elementary level in order to (a) attain a better understanding of parental experiences related to a large-scale district-initiated change and (b) delineate supports, initiatives, and strategies facilitating this type of change. Analyses of data collected from parent focus groups, School Committee members and the Superintendent reveals that parent responses evolved over time due to the mediating influence of cost-benefit analyses. Factors negatively impacting parental experiences consisted of socio-economic divides within the community; inadequate district communication; parental projection of emotions onto their children; the rupturing of social connections; feelings of disempowerment, loss, and outsider status; and differences among schools with regard to instruction, supports, and practices. Transition activities, support from teachers and principals, cohort-based transitioning, the opportunity to offer full day kindergarten, and the Superintendent's outreach and vision exerted a positive influence. This study concludes with the delineation of a proposed theoretical model reflecting parental responses to a redistricting initiative and provides recommendations to facilitate large-scale change in school districts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]