District News

(November 13, 2024)—Waco ISD began the process Tuesday night of getting input from parents, teachers, staff, and community members regarding the district’s consideration of redrawing school boundary lines. Approximately 60 committee members were in attendance and provided feedback on the importance of continuity for students and staff, equity in programs offered at schools across the district, and the need to use tax dollars wisely by maximizing classroom space in existing schools.

 

In November 2021, Waco citizens passed a $355 million bond, earmarked to open the new G. W. Carver Middle School that also serves the former Indian Spring Middle School student population (opened in August 2023). The bond funding also replaced Tennyson Middle School with the new state of the art facility that opened in August 2024. Kendrick Elementary and Waco High as well as the extensive expansion and renovation of South Waco Elementary are also part of the bond package. These three schools are scheduled to open in August 2025. Due to the new, larger Kendrick Elementary and expansion of South Waco Elementary, new attendance boundaries for Alta Vista Elementary students were required and the school is scheduled to close in June 2025.

 

Through implementation of the long-range facility master plan across Waco ISD, a committee of parents representing every campus in the district city and community representatives, along with teachers and departmental staff are participating in a series of public meetings throughout the fall of 2024. The committee's goal is to make recommendations to the Waco ISD Board of Trustees in April 2025 so that the District can provide timely communication to students and their families.

 

All committee meetings are held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Waco ISD Conference Center, 501 Franklin Avenue. Public forums are scheduled March 18 at Tennyson Middle School, March 20 at G.W. Carver Middle School, and March 25 at Alta Vista Elementary School.

 

The committee will review several scenarios before presenting its proposals to the WISD Board of Trustees in April 2025. The Board is responsible for the final decision on the attendance boundaries.

 

Information about Waco ISD’s attendance boundary process is available at https://www.wacoisd.org/families/attendance-boundary-process/attendance-boundary-process-overview with the opportunity for parents, staff, and members of the community to provide their input through November 22.