Klein ISD presented a preferred rezoning option at the Dec. 9 board meeting that will alleviate future overcrowding but raised concerns regarding the stability of certain school programs.

The rezoning comes in preparation for the upcoming unnamed Elementary School No. 33, which is slated to open in fall 2020. According to Robert Robertson, KISD's associate superintendent of facility and school services, the rezoning can also be utilized to alleviate future overcapacity schools.

“While we have the opportunity to create an attendance zone for Elementary 33 ... we should take the opportunity to balance out our enrollment at these other schools as best we can," Robertson said.

Under the preferred option, Elementary School No. 33’s attendance zones will comprise the following subdivisions: Asher Oaks Apartments, Bridgestone Crossing Townhomes, Abby at Spring Town Center Apartments, Northcrest Village, Gosling Pines, Rhodes Landing, Bridgestone Lakes and Cricket Hill Estates.

Student enrollment under these attendance zones would alleviate overcrowding at Mueller and Zwink elementary schools, student enrollment at these schools would stay below 100% for the next decade, Robertson said.

Additionally, the preferred option includes moving some elementary students who are currently zoned to Blackshear to Korhville, from Mittelstadt to Brill, from Brill to Kahn, from Zwink to Northampton, and from Hassler to Mueller, depending on the subdivision in which a student lives. Subdivisions that could be affected in the preferred option include Northern Point, Waterman Crossing and Providence at Champions, among others.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, concerns over the rezoning’s effect on school programs, such KISD’s Two-Way Bilingual Pathway program, were raised.

Implemented two years ago, the bilingual program is offered in Spanish at Brill, Kaiser and Zwink elementaries. Klenk Elementary School also offers the program in both Spanish and Vietnamese. According to Kathy Vergara, an instructional officer at the department of multilingual services, Elementary School No. 33 is still being considered for the program.

Jennifer Trillsch, a parent of a student enrolled in the bilingual program at Brill, said its enrollment comes with a six-year commitment by both the parent and student enrolled, as students participate from kindergarten to fifth grade.

“Picking up and moving that program to another school or another neighborhood, we believe, would really affect the stability of the program, and also really send a message about how [Klein ISD] values that program,” Trillsch said.

Robertson said school programs such as these were put into consideration when choosing the preferred option. He said the dual-language program at Brill is expected to remain intact.

“We have considered—in drawing our attendance boundaries—programs for dual-language bilingual programs, special ed programs and future pre-K requirements that would be reflective in these numbers in the future,” Robertson said.

As previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper, public zoning committee meetings were held by KISD on Oct. 30 and Nov. 4, during which seven rezoning options were presented to the public and the board of trustees. Three zoning options were first presented, but four more options were later created based on feedback by the zoning committee, which comprises district administrators, teachers and parents.

A final recommended zoning plan will be presented for the board’s approval at the Feb. 10 board meeting.