HOUSTON – Feb. 14, 2020 – A plan to adjust Spring ISD’s high school boundaries for the 2020-21 school year has been put on hold as the district opens three new ninth-grade centers in August and wants to minimize disruption to students, families and staff.
The planned high school boundary adjustments were the last piece of a district rezoning that began in 2017 with the realignment of elementary and then middle school boundaries. But the decision to put those changes on hold comes as the district reassesses the impact of the ninth-grade centers on the three comprehensive high schools.
“This hold will also allow each of the district’s three high schools to focus their efforts and energy on the successful implementation of their campus’ new ninth-grade center,” said Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson. “Additionally, as Spring ISD takes strong steps to expand choice and opportunity at the middle school and elementary levels, holding off on the planned high school boundary changes will provide the district’s leadership team time to reassess community needs overall.”
In his annual State of the District address, Watson announced the opening of four new speciality programs for the 2020-21 school year at Bailey, Bammel and Claughton middle schools, as well as the new International Baccalaureate program at Salyers Elementary.
“We are excited about all of these new options for our students and will be carefully evaluating how all of these programs, as well as the new ninth-grade centers, impact enrollment, attendance and achievement,” Waston said. “We want to make sure we see the big picture before implementing the planned boundary changes.”
In addition, Watson said he and his leadership team would embark on a high school listening tour in the coming year to gather additional feedback and ideas from students, parents and staff on how to further strengthen the district’s programs at the high school level.
The dates and times of those sessions will be scheduled soon and he urged people to turn out.
Watson also acknowledged that some students and families may have already made plans in anticipation of the boundaries changing next year.
“We encourage any families wishing to attend a high school other than the one to which their student is assigned to apply for a transfer,” he said. “That process will open in March and extend through May. All requests will be reviewed and accommodated based on available space.”
More information about the hold can be found on the district’s website at www.springisd.org/attendanceboundaries . Families wishing to confirm their student’s assigned school should visit the district’s Infofinder i tool and type in their address.
To make sure all questions and concerns are addressed, the district is encouraging families to submit those issues via elevate, under the topic of high school boundaries. All submissions will receive a response.
“We have a lot of look forward to in the coming school year and we’re confident that this hold will ensure a smoother transition for everyone,” Watson said.