Northwest ISD’s board of trustees saw a presentation of the recommended high school attendance boundary changes within the district at their Sept. 28 meeting.
The changes will be implemented ahead of the opening of Davis High School, which is expected to start welcoming students in August 2027.
The context
Sarah Stewart, NISD’s chief of facilities, gave an overview of how the district is proceeding with the new attendance boundaries. She said the district will gather community feedback and hold a meeting with the District Attendance Boundary Team Oct. 27 before the boundaries go before the trustees for a vote in November.
NISD is redrawing the high school attendance boundaries to accommodate Davis High School, which is the district’s fourth comprehensive high school. The construction of Davis was needed due to district growth and was funded by the voter-approved 2023 bond, according to previous reporting.
The high schools all have a capacity for 3,200 students, district documents state. If Davis High School is not built, Eaton would be over capacity for next school year and all three high schools would be over capacity by the 2028-29 school year.
Davis High School is located in the southern portion of the district and will affect the feeder patterns for Northwest High School, Byron Nelson High School and Eaton High School, according to the presentation.
Stewart's presentation shows that students at the following schools would go to Davis if the boundaries are approved:
Curtis Elementary School
Granger Elementary School
Haslet Elementary School
Peterson Elementary School
Hughes Elementary School students south of SH 170
JC Thompson Elementary School students in the unpopulated southern portion tip
Stewart said students who will be scheduled for the Davis attendance zones can only opt out if they have a sibling at another high school who is currently a junior, if they are a staff transfer student or if they go to a district academy.
Students who will be zoned for one of the other three high schools have the option to stay at their current high school if they are already enrolled there, she said. Superintendent Mark Foust added that those particular students will have to provide their own transportation to school.
“In this boundary change, we’ve decided that if you have attended [your current] high school, you can stay at that high school unless you’re going to Davis,” Steward said. “Davis is the only campus that we need to fill.”
The backstory
In January, Northwest ISD approved new attendance boundaries for the 2026-27 school years with the opening of Barksdale Middle School and Romer Elementary School, according to previous reporting.
The district also opened the Dr. David Hicks Early Childhood Center in August, the first of four early childhood centers planned for NISD, Community Impact previously reported.
What’s next?
NISD will hold community engagement sessions throughout October and roll out social media posts, send newsletters and update the district’s website.
Community members can see and discuss the proposed attendance boundaries during the following dates:
Oct. 5: Byron Nelson High School, 6 p.m.
Oct. 7: Northwest High School, 6 p.m.
Oct. 20: Eaton High School, 6 p.m.
The board will be presented with recommended changes at the Nov. 9 meeting and will vote to establish the boundaries that same day.
