Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, 139 Spring ISD students who were previously zoned to Dueitt Middle School will be rezoned to Bailey Middle School following a boundary change unanimously approved by the SISD board of trustees May 13. The boundary changes will affect the entire Forest Point at Cypresswood subdivision as well as Birnam Woods PT. 5 east of the drainage channel and Villages of Spring Oaks sections 1, 2, 3 and 4. The affected students include 53 sixth graders, 41 seventh graders and 45 eighth graders, according to SISD officials. SISD officials added that eighth graders who would prefer to finish their middle school tenure at their previously assigned middle school will be able to do so with transportation provided by the district. “We are doing something that we haven’t done before,” Chief Communications Officer Tiffany Dunne-Oldfield said during the board workshop meeting. “We are going to provide transportation to any of the rising eighth graders that want to stay at Dueitt. Because of the late nature of the boundary change, any rising eighth graders that want to stay at Dueitt, we’re going to give them the option of staying with bus service.” The change is expected to provide relief for Dueitt Middle School—a 137,391-square-foot campus with a capacity of 1,050 students, while better utilizing space at Bailey Middle School—a 203,000-square-foot campus with a capacity of 1,250 students. Under the previous boundary plan, Bailey Middle School was expected to only be at 82.3% space utilization in the 2019-20 school year with an anticipated 1,029 students. At the same time, Dueitt Middle School was expected to be at 113.6% space utilization with 1,193 students, according to the district's presentation on the boundary change. Under the approved boundary adjustment, Bailey Middle School is expected to be at 92.3% space utilization and Dueitt Middle School will be at 101.7% space utilization during the 2019-20 school year, according to the presentation. “[The boundary change] brings all of the [middle school] campuses into close proximity of each other in terms of their size,” Superintendent Rodney Watson said during the board workshop meeting. “As you know, Dueitt’s been very busy and active this year, and so this is really going to give them the relief that they need in terms of their student population.” SISD officials assured that the boundary change would not affect the district’s feeder pattern as both middle schools feed into Dekaney High School. To communicate this change, Dunne-Oldfield said SISD will send a formal letter explaining the changes via U.S. mail to all affected student families and will call ahead to let families know the letter is coming. The district will also send postcards to all addresses within the affected adjustment area to let residents know their home has been rezoned to a different middle school. For more information about the boundary change or for frequently asked questions about the change, click here.