The hottest topic at Wednesday night’s school board meeting was not even on the agenda – the possible rezoning of some Cinco Ranch High School students to neighboring Taylor High School.
A total of nine speakers signed up to address Katy ISD board members, all of whom implored trustees to consider the impact on students affected by any change in high school attendance zones.
Board President Joe Adams gave each speaker three minutes to address the board.
Many said they had heard “rumors” about the rezoning and implored the board to “grandfather” students, allowing them to graduate from the same high school they currently attend. Several also asked the district to be more forthcoming with information on any plans to change attendance zones.
Parent Billy Barry was among those who spoke to the board. He called for “full disclosure and transparency” from the district.
“There are very few people aware of the (proposed) rezoning,” Barry said. “I haven’t heard anywhere yet why this rezoning is necessary. I also haven’t heard if there are any options to rezoning.”
He said plans to transfer Cinco Ranch High students to Taylor High could result in Cinco students losing educational opportunities that are not available at Taylor.
“You shouldn’t lower standards for some students so you can provide special treatment to others,” Barry said.
Parent Gayle Cox said, at recent long-rang planning meetings, school officials had pledged no “major” changes in attendance zones would be made until the district had fully built-out.
Bonnie Becker said her family moved to the Katy area 15 years ago because of the school system. Since that time, her area had been rezoned from Taylor to Cinco Ranch.
“Now I have a freshman that may have to move back to Taylor,” she told the board.
Kevin Johnson asked trustees to “look past money and growth and look at what the impact would be on the children.”
Beth Blanchard said, “I think it’s important that children have stability and security.”
Parent Ashraf Islam said his family chose the location of his Cinco Ranch Home so his children could attend Cinco Ranch High School.
“We paid a premium for our home to be in a good school zone,” he said.
Responding to the comments, Superintendent Alton Frailey stressed no decision had yet been made on rezoning and urged concerned parents to take part in the district’s ongoing long-range facility planning process. He pointed out the district had already held two public planning sessions to discuss growth issues, had received online comments for “an extended period of time” and had at least one more public meeting planned for Feb. 4.
“No decision has been made other than a decision must be made to address growth,” Frailey said. “We’re growing and moving west and we have to do something.”
Frailey also pointed out that he, too, was a parent that could be affected by school rezoning.
“There’s nothing that I will be a part of that will harm the children,” Frailey said.
He also warned parents against listening to “rumors” of rezoning plans.
“If it’s on Facebook and not from Alton Frailey’s office, I wouldn’t put much stock in it,” Frailey said.
He added the planning process was “about making the best decision with the least disruption possible, understanding some disruption will occur.”
Later in the board meeting, several senior district officials updated the board on the long-range planning process.
Chief Operations Officer Thomas Gunnell pointed out that growth in the southwest portion of the district is expected to soon overwhelm the district’s newest high school, Seven Lakes.
He noted that Seven Lakes, Cinco Ranch and Taylor high schools all have a capacity of 3,000 students, but by the 2012-`13 school year – when the district is expected to open its next high school – Seven Lakes would have more than 4,000 students, while Cinco Ranch would have 2,973 and Taylor 2,628.
Gunnell, facilities director Peter McElwain and planner Scott Dunlap confirmed the district is considering changing the Cinco Ranch attendance zone in an effort to ease the growing Seven Lakes student population. Shifting some Cinco Ranch students to Taylor would allow for the rezoning of some Seven Lakes students to Cinco Ranch, easing the expected burden of the growth on Seven Lakes, Gunnell explained.
The area under consideration for rezoning primarily includes portions of southeast Cinco Ranch and Kelliwood.
Trustee Robert Shaw asked if the district was considering the possible impact of an International Baccalaureate Academy in its planning. Such a facility, currently being studied for the Wolfe Elementary School site, would draw high school students from across the district.
Gunnell said “much of that is yet to be determined,” but an IB academy is not expected to significantly impact the numbers.
“Even if (the IB academy) gets built, we will have these same problems,” Gunnell explained.
Shaw also said he was a “firm believer” in allowing students to remain in their current high school until graduation, and asked Gunnell if that would be taken into consideration.
“When we run scenarios, we look at allowing all existing students to remain where they’re at,” Gunnell said.
In concluding the discussion, Board President Joe Adams again stressed no decision had been made.
He also warned against the high-profile squabbling that marked the district’s last major rezoning effort.
“No decision is on the books; nothing has been done,” Adams said. “This is not about community against community; it’s about what’s good for the kids.”
The district will hold another public workshop on long-term facility planning on Feb. 4, with a follow-up meeting – if needed – on Feb. 12.
Recommendations on attendance boundary changes will be made to the board on Feb. 17, and communicated to the public Feb. 18.
Final board action is expected Feb. 22.
