2020 Boundary Survey
In the fall of 2022, we will be opening our 10th elementary school, Sugar Creek Elementary. This will require a change in school boundaries. Guided by feedback from the last boundary committee, we had already decided to change the structure of the boundary process to be even more inclusive than the past. Specifically, we had planned open houses at schools that would have allowed community members to come and provide feedback on options being presented.
As you would expect, we continue to work behind the scenes on Boundary strategies that are inclusive in our current context. And, because some of the families affected will have a change in feeders (Northwest High/Waukee High), we want to get feedback as soon as possible, in order to make informed decisions. To keep pace with our original timeline, we are attaching a feedback survey for two map options for elementary school boundaries. We had planned to have at least three options for consideration, however, guided by the Board priorities, and our team at RSP, two options emerged for feedback.
Overall Reasoning for Elementary Attendance Area Changes:
- Maple Grove, Waukee, and Woodland Hills elementary schools are projected to have enrollment pressures over the next few years.
- The district is scheduled to open Sugar Creek Elementary in the fall of 2022.
- The district would like to impact as few students and their families as possible with this upcoming boundary change.
- The district desires to have secondary attendance areas that will follow potential elementary attendance areas to minimize feeder disruptions.
- The district is proactively planning for the likely need of a third 6-7 and 8-9 school within the next 5 to 7 years, which would result in an incomplete feeder to those grade levels
- Elementary attendance boundaries being changed are influenced by enrollment pressures at Maple Grove, Waukee and Woodland Hills elementary schools, along with the geographic location of Sugar Creek Elementary.
- Maple Grove follows the Grand Prairie Parkway for its western boundary
- Woodland Hills attendance area will be south of I-80
- Elementary attendance boundaries being changed are influenced by enrollment pressures at Maple Grove, Waukee and Woodland Hills elementary schools, along with the geographic location of Sugar Creek Elementary.
- Eason attendance area is expanded to come south of University Ave to utilize additional facility capacity (to be completed by fall of 2021).
- Maple Grove attendance area extends west of Grand Prairie Parkway for its western boundary.
- Woodland Hills attendance area will be south of I-80.
- Brookview attendance area extends south to Wistful Vista Drive west of the Jordan Creek Mall.
Feedback Survey – Please complete by April 16
Next Steps
From this information, we plan to provide the Board with an initial recommendation at the May 11 meeting, with a final decision scheduled for the May 26 meeting.
As a reminder, on March 11, at the Waukee Board of Education meeting, priorities were set for the next boundary process. For additional context, a 10-year facility plan was approved on January 27, 2020.
The changes to boundaries in this process will go into effect for the 2022-23 school year. Any student entering secondary grades (6th-9th grades) has the option to attend the building in which they will be set to attend in 2022 anytime prior (August 2020 or August 2021) should they choose to do so. We will also provide transportation to those buildings prior to 2022.
We know the pace in which information is coming out is rapid and times are still uncertain, however, we still are working in the present, knowing the future is just around the corner. We look forward to working with you during the next steps.
Board Approved Boundary Priorities and Boundary Process Timeline
