MOMENTUM September 2021 | Page 18

PUBLIC EDUCATION
GLENN FREEDMAN Association of Former Board Trustees - CCISD Chapter
glennfreed @ gmail . com

HOW DO SCHOOL BOUNDARIES WORK ?

Response from “ Association of Former Board Trustees – Clear Creek ISD Chapter ” Joanna Baleson , Ken Baliker , Jennifer Broddle , Bob Davee , Glenn Freedman , Ann Hammond , Charlie Pond , Page Rander , Dee Scott , Win Weber

What are school boundaries ? A school boundary , also referred to as an attendance boundary , defines a geographic zone within which a student is eligible to attend that designated school . Most students in our area districts attend a school based on their home address .

Is an attendance zone the only way a student can attend a school ? No . In Texas , a student also can attend a school outside his / her attendance zone , if the school is a magnet school , an approved charter school , or a private school . Districts can also have waivers for out-of-district students , grandparent affidavits , special programs and homeless children to attend their schools under specified conditions , but that varies according to district policy .
Why do school boundaries change ? School boundaries change because school district populations change . Over time , the number of students at a school can increase , decrease , or shift within the district . New schools may be built ; old schools closed or rebuilt in other locations . Thus , as student numbers change , districts adjust boundaries to prevent overcrowding and under utilization . The goal is for students to have access to optimal learning conditions .
How are boundaries determined ? While each district ’ s specific process can vary , in general school boundaries are studied by committees that consider an array of factors , such as school size , demographic studies , transportation patterns , residential density , and
feeder patterns . After exhaustive study and input , the recommendations must be approved by the board of trustees . To learn about CCISD ’ s school boundaries : https :// ccisd . net / cms / One . aspx ? portalId = 645487 & pa geId = 49119887 To learn about DISD ’ s school boundaries : https :// www . dickinsonisd . org / upload / page / 0386 / docs / attendancezones . pdf
What are feeder patterns ? School feeder patterns delineate the schools students will attend as they progress from one level to the next – elementary to intermediate to high schools . The goal is to keep students together as they ‘ feed ’ from school to school , keeping old friends while making new ones .
What is a neighborhood school ? A neighborhood school is defined as a ) one close to a student ’ s residence ; and b ) one for which the school district provides transportation , or c ) one that is so close to students ’ residence that the district does not provide transportation .
Why are boundary changes often contentious ? Boundary changes inevitably result in some subset of students having to change schools or feeder patterns . These changes can be disruptive in the eyes of parents and students , hence the concerns . Fast growth districts are most often confronted with more frequent boundary shifts as new schools are built and students must be relocated to balance the number of students per school .
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