The context
The consolidations were precipitated by increased inflation, rising insurance cost, a forecasted enrollment decline and a stagnant state funding formula that has resulted in a $4.5 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2024-25. The boundary adjustments attempt to address capacity concerns at various campuses, according to district documents.
Boundary adjustments are being considered for the following eight campuses:
- Bluebonnet Elementary
- Degan Elementary
- Memorial Elementary STEM Academy
- Old Settlers Elementary
- Rockbrook Elementary
- Creek Valley Middle School STEM Academy
- Downing Middle School STEM Academy
- Lakeview Middle School
The board anticipates final determinations will be made in December, and will take effect for the 2025-26 school year. Some transfer options will be available for each zoning change.
The details
Enrollment at Bluebonnet Elementary is expected to exceed the campus’s 680 student capacity within a decade. Over 670 students are currently enrolled and the campus feeds into Shadow Ridge Middle School.
According to the plan, the Lakeside mixed-use development in Flower Mound will be re-zoned from Bluebonnet to Old Settlers Elementary School, which is at less than half of its 1,038 student capacity, a trend expected to continue. Students at Old Settler Elementary are zoned to Shadow Ridge and McKamy middle schools and the re-zoned students will continue to feed into Shadow Ridge.
Conversely, LISD staff hope to bolster Creek Valley Middle School STEM Academy enrollment with a proposed boundary readjustment, which would see all Coyote Ridge Elementary students feed into that school. Coyote Ridge students are currently zoned to attend either Creek Valley or Killian Middle School. With the changes Coyote Ridge students west of State Highway 121 would be zoned to Creek Valley.
More details
According to the proposed plan, Downing Middle School STEM Academy is another underutilized campus. To address this, staff plan to re-zone the Flower Mound Elementary School boundaries so that students feed into Downing Middle rather than being split between that campus and Lamar Middle School.
This will expand the Downing zone to east of Long Prairie Road and west of Morris Road.
District staff anticipate enrollment at Memorial Elementary STEM Academy to approach its 900 student capacity within a decade. Students zoned to Memorial in the Meridian and Hidden Cove neighborhoods will be relocated to Camey Elementary should the board approve the adjustments.
Going forward
Staff plan to discuss the boundary adjustments and school closures at the Dec. 2 work session and the board is expected to make the final decision at the regular meeting Dec. 9.
