Tomball ISD approved the realignment of attendance zones Dec. 9 for several elementary, intermediate and high schools beginning in the 2015–16 school year to balance district enrollment numbers and prepare for the opening of four new campuses.

The attendance zone realignments will affect students at seven elementary school campuses, including Creekside Forest, Timber Creek, Rosehill, Canyon Pointe, Willow Creek, Lakewood and Northpointe. In addition, the plan will rezone a portion of students at intermediate schools, including Willow Wood and Tomball junior highs as well as Tomball and Tomball Memorial high schools.

The realignment is in preparation for new schools Wildwood and Creekview elementaries and Oakcrest Intermediate to open for the 2015–16 school year and Creekside Park Junior High to open the following school year.

TISD Chief Administrative Officer Chris Trotter acknowledged that realignment may not be popular with affected area residents.

"They may have a vested interest for their community or their subdivision, but we have to think about the global perspective of what we're trying to do in the district to populate the new schools," Trotter said.

Creekside Forest Elementary School students to be rezoned to Timber Creek Elementary School for the 2015–16 school year include those living within the subdivisions of Carlton Woods, Paloma Grove, Paloma Cove, Cinnamon Run, Paloma Bend, Tunica Pass and Lake Voyageur.

For the 2015–16 school year, families in living in those neighborhoods with sixth grade students and younger siblings will have the option to stay at Creekside Forest for one year only. As part of the rezoning moving forward, the sixth graders will be permitted to remain at Creekside Forest without bus services while younger siblings transfer to Timber Creek with bus services, or all age appropriate students will transfer to Timber Creek with bus services.

Conversely, Timber Creek students west of Kuykendahl Road will be rezoned to Creekview Elementary. For the 2015-16 school year, families with students in sixth grade will have the option to transition without bus services if they remain at Timber Creek, and younger siblings will also be allowed to remain at Timber Creek for one year only. Students in sixth grade will also have the option of staying at Timber Creek while their younger siblings transfer to Creekview Elementary.

In addition, Willow Wood and Tomball Memorial students will be rezoned to Tomball Junior High and Tomball High School if they reside in Boudreaux Estates and any areas north or south of the Grand Parkway or west of Telge Road. Families with students in grades 8–12 during the 2015–16 school year will have the one-time option for transitioning without bus services if the students remain in the subdivision until graduation. However, the option is not available for younger students.

A question was posed during the Dec. 8 meeting regarding how children with special needs would be affected by the rezoning.

"Special services, curriculum [and] instruction will place programs according to where boundaries are," Trotter said.