Frisco ISD is in the middle of its annual process of realigning attendance zones for the new schools opening in 2016.
On Oct. 19, the district released the proposed boundary maps for 2016-17 to accommodate the four new schools as well as existing campuses of Ashley, Comstock, Curtsinger and Smith elementary schools to alleviate overcrowding.
About 3,000 students could be affected by FISD’s proposed zone changes.
“I don’t think there is any other school district that operates like [FISD] in regards to rezoning,” FISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon said. “Rezoning of schools is a completely different kind of thing in Frisco.”
Frisco is considered one of the fastest-growing school districts nationwide, adding 2,500 to 3,500 new students a year. In 1993 the district had four schools with a total of 1,933 students. Today, the district has more than 60 schools with more than 50,000 students.
In 10 years, FISD is projected to have an enrollment of close to 80,000. On average, FISD opens three to four schools every year.
Despite the fast growth and rising enrollment, Lyon said FISD is committed to a small, personal learning environment for students. For this reason there can only be a certain number of students at each high school, middle school and elementary school. Rezoning helps prevent overcrowding in schools, Lyon said.
Elementary schools serve 700-plus students, middle schools serve 800 to 1,000 students and high schools serve up to 2,100 students.
If a school’s enrollment reaches more than 100 students beyond capacity, that campus may be closed to new students.
FISD has been working with external demographics company Population and Survey Analysts for 17 years.[polldaddy poll=9174692]
PASA assists Texas school districts in planning for long-range utilization of schools by projecting future student enrollment.
PASA monitors growth in neighborhoods, new construction and population trends.
Every September, PASA provides FISD with updated information that includes current enrollment, 10-year enrollment projections and proposed school zones. Then FISD drafts proposed zones, receives public input, adjusts zones and makes a final decision.
“It’s not just that we open one school and put a few students in there, but we have to adjust several zones in the area. So we end up impacting lots of students some who have been here a while and those who aren’t here yet,” said Richard Wilkinson, FISD deputy superintendent of business services.
During rezoning, the district evaluates several factors when developing zoning proposals: capacity and stability of schools, effective utilization of space of schools and proximity to homes.
Wilkinson said for new schools FISD requires one-third of the staff have FISD experience so students moving to a new school will most likely know some of the personnel.
“Also about 95 percent of the time they’re moving with kids in their neighborhood,” Wilkinson said. “They think they’re isolated, but in reality they’re moving with their neighbors.”
Lyon said there will be a day where FISD is completely built out and the administration can work on a cleaner feeder pattern.
“But right now we’re still in the midst of pure growth that drives the [feeder] patterns and rezoning,” Lyon said.
