“The bond passed in 2017 led to the construction of a new elementary school to replace the existing College Street campus,” LISD Chief Schools Officer Joseph Coburn said. “That school is set to open next August, so this is the appropriate time to address the boundaries. Similarly, the retirement of Hedrick Elementary School in order to facilitate the construction of the new Hedrick Middle School on that site means there must be boundary adjustments to serve those students in nearby schools in time for next school year.”
The LISD board of trustees has narrowed down a series of rezoning options to one option, and the board is expected to make a final decision at its
Nov. 12 meeting.
“Administration felt they could communicate and educate the public with more clarity if presenting a single option,” LISD board President Angie Cox said. “There are still opportunities for community feedback and input, which can influence the board’s decision.”
In order to gain feedback and explain the boundary adjustments, the district held seven public meetings in October and early November at the various elementary campuses that will be impacted by the rezoning. The district also put up a website to help educate people on the proposals, Coburn said.
Rezoning impact
Coburn said the district takes factors such as commute time into consideration when rezoning.
“Convenience to families and minimizing travel are always important in boundary considerations, so we look at adjacent and nearby campuses anytime we are looking at attendance zones,” he said. “Existing space at campuses is also important.”
For those students who live more than 2 miles from their new school there would be bus transportation available, Coburn said. LISD would also consider providing bus service if students live in a place where there is not a safe, direct walking route to school, even if the students live less than 2 miles from the school.
Additionally, any student who is entering fourth or fifth grade next year who may be rezoned has the option to remain at his or her current elementary school. If those students have any younger siblings, the district would allow them to stay as well.
However, if those students should decide to stay at their current elementary school after being rezoned to a different elementary school, transportation would not be provided to them.
Coburn said no middle or high school boundaries would be affected by the boundary adjustments.
“We also have traditionally tried to maintain feeder patterns,” he said. “We want children to know they will be a future Jaguar, Fighting Farmer or Marauder starting in kindergarten as we look at these proposals for boundary adjustments.”
Cox said students would continue to receive the services they currently have.
“The education and opportunities will not change,” she said. “The communication will be open and transparent with the families to allow them an opportunity to plan. There will be opportunities for students to tour and meet their teachers prior to opening day. Students will continue to receive a good education with great teachers that give them opportunities to thrive and grow at their level.”
Cox said if an elementary campus does not currently have Communities in Schools of North Texas, then the service would be added on the campus.
CISNT, a nonprofit that offices in Lewisville, provides almost 4,000 at-risk youth with dropout-prevention programs and after-school programs.
New elementary school
Although the district as a whole is declining in enrollment there are several areas that are experiencing growth. Such is the case at College Street Elementary, which will be replaced with a new elementary school on Mill Street. The new elementary has not been named yet.
LISD Superintendent Kevin Rogers said College Street Elementary was at its maximum capacity and was having to send students to Central Elementary. The additional students from College made Central the largest elementary in the district by enrollment.
“So the purpose of building a new [elementary school] is so that the kids that should be going to College Street can actually go back to their home campus even though it’s not going to be on College Street anymore,” he said.
The proposed boundary adjustment for Mill Street Elementary includes expanding the current College Street boundary, which will allow more families to access a school in their own neighborhood, according to LISD officials.
The adjustment also takes a portion of students currently zoned to Lewisville Elementary School and moves them to Central, which will keep Lewisville Elementary from getting too crowded and having to place classes in portable buildings, Cox said.
Some Central students will be rezoned to the new elementary school as well.
Central Elementary has an enrollment of 911 students, and Lewisville Elementary has an enrollment of 747 students. Upon completion of the new elementary school, all three schools will have an enrollment of approximately 700 students.
At a public information meeting held at Central Elementary, some parents wondered if the new school on Mill would require students to wear school uniforms like Central does.
Coburn told parents that the new elementary school will not have a school uniform policy.
Hedrick Elementary School
The 2017 bond also includes a brand new Hedrick Middle School. To build the new middle school Hedrick Elementary School, which is on the same site as the middle school, has to be retired.
Hedrick Middle is projected to have a current enrollment of 634 students.
The proposed boundary adjustment uses existing space at Degan, Parkway and Vickery elementary schools to house the Hedrick Elementary students.
District staff said some of the faculty and staff at Hedrick Elementary will also move to those schools to help serve the children.
In May the board of trustees approved a 10-classroom addition at Vickery to accommodate Hedrick Elementary students that will be rezoned to the school.
Future adjustments
LISD is also in the process of looking at adjusting the boundaries of several elementary schools in Flower Mound due to expected residential
development.
The district is looking at rezoning students from Flower Mound Elementary to Bridlewood Elementary and students from Bluebonnet Elementary to Old Settlers Elementary. Although boundary adjustments for these schools are expected to be shared at the November board meeting, district officials said the rezoning of these schools will more than likely not happen in the 2019-20 school year.
“The other two projects—Bridlewood/Flower Mound and Bluebonnet/Old Settlers—are about staying ahead of future growth and trying to adjust a boundary before a development is complete, rather than after,” Coburn said.
The latest demographic report, which was presented by Templeton Demographics in September, shows there are 322 vacant developable lots available and 291 future lots planned to build on in Flower Mound Elementary’s boundary zone. Bluebonnet Elementary’s boundary zone has 594 future lots to be developed.
“There are some developments planned for that area as well as land that our demographers believe could lead to more growth,” Coburn said. “The Villas at Southgate is one of the larger future subdivisions, and it is currently zoned to Bluebonnet. That development alone would push Bluebonnet ES far beyond capacity given current boundaries. As a district, we always want to look at boundaries in a way that means not having to address it again for at least 10 years.”
