Hutto ISD board to make final decision on middle school attendance rezoning in coming weeks

Hutto ISD trustees will make a final decision in the coming weeks regarding its middle school rezoning plan, in anticipation of the opening of Gus Almquist Middle School this fall.

What's happening?

A monthslong process to reallocate students between the new facility and existing middle schools will come to a close at the HISD board of trustees' next meeting Jan. 25, said Henry Gideon, HISD's assistant superintendent of operations, at a Jan. 11 workshop.

Gideon also shared that the board will decide whether or not to offer a grandfathering option exempting rising middle school students from the rezone to remain at their current campuses. He said this would be done via the district's existing transfer process, exempting the application fee and putting the onus of transporting students to and from school on their parents and guardians.

What they're saying

Members of the board remarked that the rezoning and opening of Gus Almquist would address transportation woes experienced by some Hutto residents, such as having to cross the Union Pacific Railroad line going to and from school, or having to take heavily trafficked roads, such as Limmer Loop, as part of their route.

"That was just a dream a few years ago," board President Billie Logiudice said.