KISD Chief of Staff Dayna Hernandez said the effort aims to:
- Provide relief to enrollment numbers
- Maximize facility usage at 95% utilization
- Defer the timing of future school construction
However, some parents have expressed concern over the plan, citing transparency over the district’s community feedback process as an issue.
The overview
Hernandez said the biggest area of concern for future growth was in the northern portion of the district near the Grand Parkway, noting there was more stability in the southern end.
According to an October report from demographic firm Population and Survey Analysts, around 1,000 housing units are projected to be built in the northeastern portion of the district in City Place and along Gosling Road in the next 10 years.
Hernandez said most of the changes in the rest of the district are aimed at evening out enrollment among campuses.
Under the rezoning plan, Brill and Theiss elementaries’ enrollment numbers are projected to drop from 119% and 108% of the campuses’ capacities, respectively, to 87% and 99% in the 2024-25 school year.
As of Feb. 5, Hernandez said the district had reviewed more than 1,600 pieces of feedback from community members.
Regina Childress, a KISD parent, said she believes the district’s feedback process could have been more transparent.
Hernandez said reports from each of the district’s 170-member rezoning committee’s meetings have been posted on the KISD’s rezoning webpage.
A closer look
According to an October report from demographics firm Population and Survey Analysts, KISD’s enrollment is not expected to grow significantly in the next decade. However, Hernandez said rezoning will help balance enrollment across campuses as officials move forward with bond projects, including the construction of a new middle school and additional classrooms at Klein Cain and Klein Oak high schools.What they're saying
- “Feedback can often become emotional in a process like this, and we have to look at that, and we have to take that into consideration.” —Dayna Hernandez, chief of staff, Klein ISD
- “It stands to reason that in 1,600-plus comments, there were likely valuable suggestions for large-impact changes that the public and school board may never know about.” —Regina Childress, parent, Klein ISD
KISD’s new zoning boundaries will go into effect beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
Officials said families residing in newly rezoned areas will receive detailed communications about the changes and how they will affect their families. Additionally, campus principals will arrange welcome nights and opportunities for families to visit their newly zoned schools.
Hernandez said she believes the plan will put the district in a good position moving forward.
"When you’re rezoning 43 schools, 4,400 streets and close to ... 25,000 kids that were a part of this process, you need to make sure you don’t make a mistake along the way,” Hernandez said. “We used the most reliable data from the expertise that we have to make the best decisions for the school district and the resources we have.”
