Leander ISD parents push back against attendance zone changes

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Leander ISD is considering boundary changes for several of its elementary school campuses. As rezoning discussions continue, parents said they're worried their children will have to start over at a new school once again.

"Our children have been required to move three times in four years," Leander parent Makenna Burke said.

Burke said her neighborhood's attendance zone was adjusted a few years ago and her children were moved to the newly-built North Elementary.

She said there were obvious signs from her children that they were saddened by the transition.

"At first they didn't want to come to school. It was hard for them to connect with new kids, it was hard for them to attach to faculty the way they had done at their previous school," Burke said.

Allison Burskind's child was also moved to North Elementary in this rezoning. She said the latest proposal from Leander ISD would also move her child into a new building for a second time.

"The first year was really about mourning their old school. The second year has been where they've really flourished and it's become home. Building a school from scratch is very hard," Burskind said.

New campus brings attendance zone changes

LISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing said the construction of a new elementary school set to open next fall is behind the rezoning as the district tries to relieve overcrowding and plan ahead for projected growth.

He said the northern part of the district will be the most heavily affected by the changes. Those campuses including Larkspur, Tarvin, North, Plain Elementary Schools and some schools in the southern part of the district, Gearing said.

So far, the district has presented 3 draft scenarios for public feedback. He said suggestions from parents have been valuable, and while the district is looking to keep as many students as possible in their same school - some changes will have to be made.

"Whenever you open a new campus, you of course have to put kids from other zones into that new school and create a new zone," Gearing said.

He said the district expected to present a final rezoning plan to the LISD Board of Trustees by the end of the year, but that may not happen until January as the district seeks more feedback.

"We just want to the community to know that we are listening very carefully to them. We're going to continue to work with them very carefully. At some point, we do have to make decisions in the best interest of the district," Gearing said.

LISD will have a public meeting on rezoning from 6-7:30 p.m., Nov. 29, at North Elementary School. Another meeting will also take place at the same time, Dec. 5 at Plain Elementary School.