Klein ISD's 30th elementary school, French Elementary School, is scheduled to open in August for the 2015–16 school year to serve students on the north end of the district's boundaries.

With construction nearly completed on the campus, the KISD board of trustees approved rezoning for the district's elementary schools at a board meeting Feb. 9. The approved zoning changes will pull students from Northampton and Metzler elementary schools to attend French Elementary.

The largest portion being rezoned to French Elementary includes neighborhoods within Northampton's zone, such as Auburn Lakes, Greens of Northampton, Dovershire Place, Goodwin Mobile Homes, Woods of Northampton, Hampton Creek, Waterford Springs and Alexan Auburn Lakes Apartments.

"The areas that are rezoned from Northampton to French are the subdivisions that are right around French," said Judy Rimato, the district's associate superintendent for communications and planning.

Several subdivisions within Metzler's current zone, including Toscana at August Pines, Shadow Creek South, Shadow Creek at August Pines, Retreat at Augusta Pines and Augusta Creek Ridge, are being rezoned to French Elementary as well, Rimato said.

"Even though we have not satisfied everyone, we have satisfied their needs to be heard. I think that's important."
- KISD board member Stephen Szymczak

"There's not that many students currently living in those subdivisions, but because [they are] actively being built, there are many students projected for that area," she said.

Rezoning changes approved by the district also include moving Laurel Park and the Hines subdivision, which are zoned to Kuehnle Elementary, to Hassler Elementary.

"The reason we'd like to move it now is there's no students currently living in this particular area," Rimato said.

She said the district first met with demographics firm Population and Survey Analysts and created a zoning committee in October. The district began the process with six different rezoning options, and after four zoning meetings and the discussion of a seventh option, staff presented recommendations to the board at the Dec. 8 meeting.

The KISD board unanimously approved the zones Feb. 9.

"[Superintendent] Dr. [Jim] Cain, congratulations to you and your staff on rezoning; the last few have gone very smoothly," KISD board member Stephen Szymczak said. "Even though we have not satisfied everyone, we have satisfied their needs to be heard. I think that's important."

The district will begin the rezoning process in the fall for the district's 31st elementary school and fifth high school. Planned for the Willow Lake Village subdivision, Elementary School No. 31 is set to open in the 2016–17 school year. High School No. 5 could open in the 2017–18 school year if residents pass the district's newest bond authorization May 9.

Both the French and Willow Lakes Village elementary schools are being funded by the district's 2008 bond authorization. District officials said the guaranteed maximum cost for French Elementary School is $20.499 million.