On Oct. 10, TISD leaders announced the campus boundary reset process, with the new zoning set to take effect in August when West Elementary School opens.
The need for a boundary redesign comes from student population growth and new schools that will be opening, TISD administrators said in a Nov. 9 email. Four schools—funded by TISD’s $494.46 million 2021 bond—will open from August 2024 to August 2026.
“We’re thankful to the voters that have allowed us the opportunity to build new schools, so we don’t continue to have overcrowding,” TISD Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora said during the district’s first listening tour Nov. 8. “With that, ... individuals will have to go to new schools.”
Within seven school years, eight TISD schools are expected to exceed capacity if no boundary changes are made or new schools are added, according to enrollment projections posted on TISD’s boundary reset website.
“Tomball ISD is a fast-growth school district. ... Our student enrollment is exceeding building capacity in many areas of the district,” TISD officials said in an email.
Three map drafts each for elementary, intermediate, junior high and high school boundaries were published on TISD’s website in early November. A fourth plan, incorporating parent comments made during two listening tours, was posted in mid-November.Digging deeper
Current enrollment projections predict three schools will surpass enrollment capacity by the 2024-25 school year and five more schools will exceed capacity within five years, according to TISD’s boundary reset website. With the addition of four new schools to TISD, district leaders anticipate campuses will avoid surpassing enrollment capacity until at least the 2030-31 school year, according to a presentation at the Oct. 10 trustee meeting.
The new schools include:
- West Elementary School
- Opening: 2024-25
- Bond funds allocated: $32.55 million
- West Intermediate School
- Opening: 2025-26
- Bond funds allocated: $39.74 million
- Tomball West High School
- Opening: 2026-27
- Bond funds allocated: $195.59 million
- Intermediate School No. 5*
- Opening 2026-27
- Bond funds allocated: $54.6 million
In their own words
In November, the district held two listening tour stops at Tomball Memorial and Tomball high schools where parent feedback was gathered on drafted maps for the boundary redesign.
- “It is often hard to think about leaving a community, a school, a zone, an area in which you are very comfortable and you have been very happy. One of the things that we say is, ‘In Tomball, ISD, it really doesn't matter where your children go. Any school in our district is an outstanding school,'" Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD superintendent, said.
- “My main concerns are where siblings could possibly be split between two high schools. My daughter would be a junior at Tomball Memorial when the new school opens, and my son would be a freshman. It's upsetting to me to think that my two children would attend two different high schools," Brianna Vu, TISD parent and Wildwood at Oakcrest resident, said.
- “We are not in favor of the rezoning proposal. It is currently 7-9 minutes to our schools. Y'all are asking our students to be 25-40 minutes from the school. This has negative impacts on academics," Roxann Bacchus, TISD parent and Lakes and the Enclave at Northpointe resident, said.
The district hopes to present the finalized maps to trustees Jan. 8, and trustees will vote on the boundary realignments Jan. 9. TISD’s District Zone Committee had not recommended a final rezoning plan as of press time Nov. 21.
- Dec. 4: The District Zone Committee will meet.
- Jan. 8-9: Attendance boundaries will be presented to the board, who will consider the changes.
- Aug. 14: New boundaries, if approved, will be implemented for the start of the 2024-25 school year as West Elementary opens.
