The district’s board of trustees approved changes to the elementary and middle school attendance boundaries at its Dec. 11 meeting. Officials previewed the zoning changes Nov. 13.
The background
Two new schools—the district’s 18th elementary school and fifth middle school—are opening in August. Betty Jackson Elementary School is opening in the south side of the district near Rock Hill High School and north of Hays Middle School. Daniel L. Jones Middle School is opening on the south side of the district near Rock Hill High.
Major changes to the zoning will be done in the southern portion of PISD, Deputy Superintendent Greg Bradley said at the Nov. 13 meeting. The affected schools include:
- Spradley Elementary School
- Hays Middle School
- Rogers Middle School
The specifics
Spradley Elementary is overcrowded with close to 1,200 students, Bradley said. The new zone will reduce its student population to close to 750, he said. Bradley went on to explain that he expects this to be a lasting change for Spradley Elementary.
“It’s impossible to predict what the district will look like 10 years from now,” he said. “I believe this zone will hold for many years to come.”Hays Middle currently has over 1,900 students. The zoning change would reduce this to under 1,200, Bradley said.One more thing
In the spring semester, the district will open an opportunity for parents to request transfer for students who wish to remain at their current school, Bradley said.
