Archives

The following information illustrates the steps we have already taken in the boundary change process:

Middle School Boundary Changes
High School Boundary Changes
Elementary 32 Boundary Changes
Elementary 31 Boundary Changes

Middle Schools

The following information illustrates the steps we have already taken in the boundary change process for middle schools.

1. Superintendent adopts scenario A for middle school boundaries
2. Boundary Process
3. Guiding Principles
4. View Boundary Scenario Maps

Superintendent adopts scenario A for middle school boundaries

On May 5, 2006, Superintendent Mike Paskewicz received the recommendation concerning the realignment of middle school boundaries from the Community Participation/Boundary Process Consensus Team (Consensus Team). An executive summary of the Consensus Team's recommendation was delivered to all parents of elementary and middle school students in the district. The team's recommendation was to adopt community scenario A. It is necessary to change middle school boundaries due to growth and the opening of Middle School 11 near 124th Ave. and Huron St. in August 2007.

Having reviewed the process and evaluations conducted by the community at-large and the Community Participation/Boundary Process Team (Boundary Team), the superintendent concurred with the Consensus Team's recommendation and has decided scenario A will be adopted for middle school boundaries, effective August 2007.

Beginning with the high school boundary change process which wrapped up in April 2005, the superintendent charged the Boundary Team with guiding a community engagement process that centered on public input and dialogue to craft new boundaries. The community set the foundation for developing boundary scenarios during the high school process, when it formed five guiding principles to be used in shaping and evaluating boundary options. For the elementary process and the most recent middle school process, the community reaffirmed and reprioritized its guiding principles.

The Boundary Team engaged the community using a variety of communication avenues including letters sent to parents, the district's Web site, online surveys, FSSTV-Channel 22, seven community meetings and an e-mail update system.

Nearly 225 responses were received during the public engagement process with people giving general comments, feedback, concerns and affirmations. These responses were used to clarify the process and sift out or affirm options based on the community's guiding principles.

Superintendent Paskewicz understands changing school boundaries is a sensitive issue and one that our community cares about deeply. That's why he's committed to making sure the process continues to be community-driven and represents the best interests of all our more than 37,000 students and their families throughout the district. He encourages every community member to take an active role in our boundary process as we move forward and next consider options for elementary schools beginning this fall.

Boundary Process

Below, you'll find a timeline of the process for changing middle school boundaries.

JANUARY 2006 - Community identifies guiding principles

• Community reaffirms, modifies or deletes existing guiding principles and adds new ones to be used in developing and evaluating middle school boundary scenarios.

FEBRUARY 2006 - Boundary Team develops scenarios

• Using the community's guiding principles, Boundary Team develops middle school boundary scenarios.

MARCH 2006 - Community evaluates scenarios

• Community evaluates middle school boundary scenarios based on the community's guiding principles.

APRIL 2006 - Boundary Team adapts/validates scenarios

• Boundary Team uses community's evaluation of scenarios to make any necessary changes.

MAY 2006 - Superintendent receives boundary recommendation.

Guiding Principles

In January 2006, the community identified the guiding principles to be used in developing middle school boundary scenarios. Community members provided their feedback at two group dialogue sessions, an open house and on the district's Web site.

As part of this process, community members further defined the guiding principles that were used during the high school and elementary boundary processes. They also ranked the guiding principles in a different priority order. The following are the community's guiding principles for the middle school process, in order of importance to the community:

1. Minimize the impact on existing schools/students

• Minimize the decrease/increase of students moved from one school to another.
• Minimize splitting neighborhood.
• Minimize feeder split.
• Evaluate the balance of diversity and socioeconomic factors created by the boundary plan.

2. Operate schools with enough enrollment to provide an adequate program

• Operate schools with enough enrollment to provide adequate programs and to be financially viable.
• Minimize program changes at schools affected by a boundary change (decrease in enrollment).
• Evaluate opportunities to accommodate "choice" in schools.
• Balance the number of students at each school relative to building capacity.

3. Accommodate growth

• Boundaries are changed to alleviate overcrowding in existing schools due to new housing growth.
• Minimize the use of modular classrooms.
• Minimize overcrowding so as to not increase class sizes.

4. Minimize future changes in existing school boundaries

• Using five-year enrollment projections, minimize the number of boundary changes that impact a specific neighborhood.

5. Minimize busing

• Minimize the distance and time a student is bused to school.
• Boundaries should be compact and logical.
• Minimize the number of students bused.
  

Maps

Using the guiding principles the community identified for the middle school boundary change process, the Boundary Team chose three scenario maps for the public to review during the month of March 2006.

Please click on images to enlarge.

Map of Current Middle School Boundaries

Scenario Maps A, B & C

Scenario A

Scenario B

Scenario C

High School

The following information illustrates the steps we have already taken in the boundary change process for high schools.

1. Superintendent adopts scenario D
2. Boundary process
3. Guiding principles
4. View Boundary Scenario Maps

Superintendent adopts scenario D for high school boundaries

Based on the recommendation of the Community Participation/Boundary Process Consensus Team (Consensus Team), Superintendent Mike Paskewicz has adopted scenario D for the realignment of high school boundaries. It's necessary to change high school boundaries due to growth and the opening of High School 5. The new high school boundaries will go into effect August 2006.

Learn more about the superintendent's decision, view maps of the current and new high school boundaries, and find out how the new boundaries will impact future high school students (pdf format).

View the executive summary of the 2005 high school boundary recommendation (pdf format).

Boundary Process

Below, you will find an outline of the process for changing high school boundaries, along with dates for each step of the process.

NOVEMBER 2004 - Community Input on Guiding Principles

• Community affirms guiding principles; modifies, adds or deletes principles

DECEMBER 2004 - Develop Scenarios

• Staff develops scenarios based on the community's guiding principles
• Present scenarios to school principals, parent leaders

JANUARY 2005 - Community Input on Scenarios

• Community to view scenarios and provide feedback

FEBRUARY 2005 - Adapt/Validate Models

• Use community feedback to make any necessary changes

MARCH 2005 - Recommendation to Superintendent

Guiding Principles

The Five Star District used the guiding principles that the community identified in November 2004 to develop the high school boundary scenarios. More than 125 people attended six community meetings on guiding principles. In addition, every family in the district was sent a survey about guiding principles. Community members completed and returned more than 350 surveys. The community's top five guiding principles are in the following order of priority:

1. Accommodate growth

• Boundaries are changed to alleviate overcrowding in existing schools due to new housing growth.
• Minimize the use of modular classrooms.

2. Minimize the impact on existing schools/students

• Minimize the decrease/increase of students moved from one school to another.
• Minimize splitting neighborhoods.
• Minimize split feeders.
• Evaluate the balance of diversity and socioeconomic factors created by the boundary plan.

3. Open schools with enough enrollment to provide an adequate program

• Open new schools with enough enrollment to provide adequate programs and to be financially viable.
• Minimize program changes at schools affected by a boundary change (decrease in enrollment).
• Evaluate opportunities to accommodate "choice" in schools.

4. Minimize future changes in existing school boundaries

• Minimize the number of boundary changes that impact a specific neighborhood.

5. Minimize bussing

• Minimize the distance a student is bussed to school.
• Boundaries should be compact and logical.
  
  

Elementary School 32

The following information illustrates the steps we have already taken in the boundary change process for elementary schools.

1. Superintendent adopts scenario C for elementary school boundaries
2. Boundary Process
3. Guiding Principles
4. View Boundary Scenario Maps

Superintendent adopts scenario C for elementary school boundaries

In response to the community's evaluation of scenarios A, B and C against the guiding principles, and the recommendation of the Community Participation/Boundary Process Consensus Team, the superintendent has adopted scenario C for elementary school boundaries. The new boundaries will go into effect August 2007. That's when Elementary 32 is scheduled to open near the intersection of 124th Ave. and Colorado Blvd.

Superintendent's letter
Executive summary of the Consensus Team's recommendation
Community members can view a map of both the current elementary boundaries and the adopted scenario C boundaries for August 2007 and beyond.

Together, community members identified the best elementary school boundary solution for the entire district, its families and students. We want to thank the community members who provided valuable feedback in helping develop the district's new elementary school boundaries.

Boundary Process

Below, you'll find a timeline of the process for changing elementary school boundaries.

EARLY SEPTEMBER 2006 - Community Input on Guiding Principles

• Community reaffirms, modifies or deletes existing guiding principles and adds new ones to be used in developing elementary school boundary scenarios
• Community puts guiding principles in order of priority

SEPTEMBER 2006 - Develop Scenarios

• Using the community's guiding principles, staff develops elementary school boundary scenarios

EARLY OCTOBER 2006 - Community Input on Scenarios

• Community to evaluate elementary school boundary scenarios based on the community's guiding principles

LATE OCTOBER 2006 - Adapt/Validate Scenarios

• Use community feedback to make any necessary changes

NOVEMBER 2006 - Recommendation to Superintendent

 

Guiding Principles

In September 2006, the community identified the guiding principles to be used in developing and evaluating elementary school boundary scenarios. More than 130 community members provided their feedback at an open house, on the district's Web site and through surveys returned to schools in the district.

As part of this process, community members further defined the guiding principles that were identified during previous boundary processes. They also ranked the guiding principles in priority order. The following are the community's guiding principles for the elementary school process, in order of importance to the community:

1. Minimize the impact on existing schools/students

• Minimize the decrease/increase of students moved from one school to another.
• Minimize splitting neighborhood.
• Minimize feeder split.
• Evaluate the balance of diversity and socioeconomic factors created by the boundary plan.

2. Operate schools with enough enrollment to provide an adequate program

• Operate schools with enough enrollment to provide adequate programs and to be financially viable.
• Minimize program changes at schools affected by a boundary change (decrease in enrollment).
• Evaluate opportunities to accommodate “choice” in schools.
• Balance the number of students at each school relative to building capacity.

3. Accommodate growth

• Boundaries are changed to alleviate overcrowding in existing schools due to new housing growth.
• Minimize the use of modular classrooms.
• Minimize overcrowding so as to not increase class sizes.

4. Minimize future changes in existing school boundaries

• Using five-year enrollment projections, minimize the number of boundary changes that impact a specific neighborhood.

5. Minimize busing

• Minimize the distance and time a student is bused to school.
• Boundaries should be compact and logical.
• Minimize the number of students bused.

Elementary School 31

The following information illustrates the steps we have already taken in the boundary change process for elementary schools.

1. Superintendent adopts scenario A for elementary school boundaries
2. Boundary Process
3. Guiding Principles
4. View Boundary Scenario Maps

Superintendent adopts scenario A for elementary school boundaries

Based on the recommendation of the Community Participation/Boundary Process Consensus Team (Consensus Team), Superintendent Mike Paskewicz has adopted scenario A for the realignment of elementary school boundaries. It's necessary to change elementary school boundaries due to growth and the opening of Elementary School 31 near 152nd Ave. and York St. The new elementary school boundaries will go into effect August 2006.

To learn more about the superintendent's decision, view maps of the current and new elementary school boundaries, click here (pdf format)

To view the executive summary of the 2005 elementary school boundary recommendation (pdf format), please click here.

Boundary Process

Below, you'll find an outline and a timeline of the process for changing elementary school boundaries.

MID-SEPTEMBER 2005 - Community Input on Guiding Principles

• Community reaffirms, modifies or deletes existing guiding principles and adds new ones to be used in developing elementary school boundary scenarios

SEPTEMBER 2005 - Develop Scenarios

• Using the community's guiding principles, staff develops elementary school boundary scenarios

LATE SEPTEMBER 2005 - Community Input on Scenarios

• Community to evaluate elementary school boundary scenarios based on the community's guiding principles

OCTOBER 2005 - Adapt/Validate Scenarios

• Use community feedback to make any necessary changes

NOVEMBER 2005 - Recommendation to Superintendent

 

Guiding Principles

In mid-September 2005, the community identified the guiding principles to be used in developing elementary school boundary scenarios. Community members provided their feedback at two open houses and on the district's Web site.

While community members didn't change the definition of the guiding principles that were identified during the high school boundary process, they did rank the guiding principles differently for the elementary boundary change process.

The community's guiding principles for the elementary boundary change process are listed in the following priority order:

1. Minimize the impact on existing schools/students

• Minimize the decrease/increase of students moved from one school to another.
• Minimize splitting neighborhoods.
• Minimize split feeders.
• Evaluate the balance of diversity and socioeconomic factors created by the boundary plan.

2. Accommodate growth

• Boundaries are changed to alleviate overcrowding in existing schools due to new housing growth.
• Minimize the use of modular classrooms.

3. Minimize future changes in existing school boundaries

• Minimize the number of boundary changes that impact a specific neighborhood.

4. Minimize bussing

• Minimize the distance a student is bussed to school.
• Boundaries should be compact and logical.

5. Open schools with enough enrollment to provide an adequate program

• Open new schools with enough enrollment to provide adequate programs and to be financially viable.
• Minimize program changes at schools affected by a boundary change (decrease in enrollment).
• Evaluate opportunities to accommodate "choice" in schools.