McKinney ISD leaders form new attendance zones following campus repurposing decision

The projected enrollment following the boundary changes will result in higher campus utilization rates, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Dennis Womack said. Some campuses will see utilization rates that surpass 90%, district documents show. Potential impacts could be seen in increases to dismissal times and traffic as utilization rises, he said.

“Class sizes aren’t going to get bigger, they’re going to stay the same [and] what the district standard is,” Womack said. “We’re taking classrooms that exist today that aren’t being used and turning them into classrooms again.”

“I would just like to thank the committee for taking that [economically disadvantaged student distribution] so seriously because to me, as a long time person having been here, I think that is something that has made McKinney ISD a strong district,” board member Lynn Sperry said.

“This is something that is normal throughout high school, that your rank is going to fluctuate because it is a relative measure for who is in your class with you, what the composition of your class is,” Akins said, noting that higher education entities evaluate a number of factors in addition to rank when evaluating student applications.

District officials are also working closely with the University Interscholastic League officials to ensure student populations at each high school are maintained for the purpose of UIL classifications for activities such as football, Superintendent Shawn Pratt said. McKinney North is expected to stay in the 5A conference, while the other two high schools will remain in the 6A conference, he said.

District officials confirmed that incoming fifth, eighth and 12th grade students will be allowed to be grandfathered in and continue attending their current campuses for the 2026-27 school year.

Students affected by the realignment that want to continue attending their current campus are able to apply for a transfer through the Choose McKinney process. Transfers are based on campus space availability, among other factors, but priority will be given to students impacted by the attendance zone realignment, the release states.

“While these changes are challenging, they are critical to securing the long-term success and stability of McKinney ISD and ensuring that we continue to serve all students with excellence,” Pratt said in the release.

The context

The attendance zone change is part of a larger initiative by the district to evaluate long-range facility and financial strategy with the goal of optimizing facility use and balancing enrollment, the release states.

More than 300 district stakeholders, including parents, students and staff, served on the Strategic Planning Committee and the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee, which identified potential facilities repurposing as a future need, district documents state. Both groups preceded the creation of the Educational Facilities Alignment Committee in September.

The Educational Facilities Alignment Committee was originally slated to meet six times in a closed meeting format between September and December, but two additional meetings were added to the schedule, district documents state. The process also included two community input meetings.

What they’re saying

• “One of the things that I believe makes McKinney ISD such a strong community is that we prioritize equity and the quality of education by balancing populations across the district, especially when it comes to the secondary schools,” said Halcyon Ramsey, Faubion Middle School PTO president. “As you vote tonight on the middle school rezoning maps, I would like to urge you to keep equity at the forefront as a priority.”
• “Our top priority remains unchanged—to ensure that every child in McKinney ISD feels safe, supported and connected,” Pratt said. “As we implement the realignment plan, our focus continues to be on meeting the needs of students, supporting our staff and finishing this school year strong.”
• “As we’re looking at rezoning, we should really be prioritizing those kids that are most impacted by the process that are at these closed campuses,” McKinney ISD parent Anthony England said. “It’s my strong belief that elementary school Map 4 and middle school maps 2 and 5 do the best job of that because they keep these populations from the closed schools going together in both new elementary campuses and new middle school campuses.”

District officials expect to implement a transition plan for students and families affected by the attendance zone realignment.

The transition plan will include opportunities such as welcome events, orientations and campus tours. Parents can expect an email from district officials identifying their student’s zoned campus for the 2026-27 school year during the week of Dec. 15, the release states.

For information about the attendance zone realignment process and new attendance maps, visit www.mckinneyisd.net/page/efac. More information and updates on the district’s transition plan can be found www.mckinneyisd.net/o/misd/page/taking-care-of-students-and-families.