Zoning For New MoCity High School Still Up In The Air

For the second time, the Fort Bend Independent School District Board of Trustees weren’t happy with the options presented for attendance zoning for High School #11 in Missouri City. After a workshop Monday night with four options presented, the most the board members could tell staff was the option they were unhappy with the least – and sent them back to the drawing board, again.

 High School #11 is located at 500 Waters Lake Blvd., in the Hillwood Development near Sienna Plantation.

The board told district staff to do further review of option 4, which adds Dulles High School zoning to the mix. Option 4 zones all Riverstone students to Elkins, and moves Lakefield, Lakes of Austin Park and Colony Lakes students from Clements High School to Dulles High School. Vicksburg students would be zoned to Hightower High School.

Option 4 was presented with further breakdowns of neighborhoods that could be shifted around zoning-wise, such as moving Settler Way students from Clements High School to Dulles High School. Junior and senior students would have the option to stay at their original school.

Of major concern to board members was the fact that just two years ago, the board rezoned 5,000 students to 24 different schools.

“It’s frustrating,” said Board Member Laurie Caldwell. “There really isn’t a good way to make a decision that’s going to last.”

“You are going to be in this position as long as we continue to grow,” responded Board President Bob Broxson.

“I think in our language, ‘forever’ means two years,” said Board Member Sonal Buchar.

Currently, Clements High School is over its “functional capacity” level of 2,202 students by 607, Elkins by 414 at 2,400 students and Hightower by 681 with 2,745 students. Dulles is below functional capacity by 12 students, with an enrollment of 2,086.

The new high school would open well below capacity with only freshman and sophomore students.

According to high school principals at the workshop, overcrowding isn’t always a bad thing at the high school level.

“The more the merrier,” said Dulles Principal Mark Foust, who said before the last rezoning, Dulles had around 2,400 students – almost 400 more than now. “Functionally, we were outstanding.”

Assistant Superintendent for High Schools Mike McKie said more students allow greater flexibility in scheduling, a larger array of classes and a larger pool of participants for extracurricular activities and athletics.

McKie also said the biggest strain from overcrowding is on the common areas, such as the cafeteria and restrooms. Rumors of students eating on the floor or not having a desk in a classroom are untrue, he said.

Clements Principal Kevin Moran, managing a school over capacity by 607 students, said they are comfortable with their numbers.

“No kids sitting on floors,” said Moran, who said staff encounters “little to no problems” with the students during the day, and can offer more courses and better schedules. “Right now out kids are great. We really like them – we would hate to lose any one of them.”

Willowridge Principal Joe Coleman, running a campus that is below functional capacity by 125 students at 1,470, said he wants more students.

Board Member Susan Hohnbaum said now may be the time to rezone across the board.

“Maybe it’s time to look at them and get it balanced as much as we can,” said Hohnbaum, who said she would like to see all district buildings put to good use. “Even if it’s a major shakeup”

“I think we need to stay in our guiding principles,” said Buchar, who added that rezoning could be damaging to children. “I think we need to look at not moving constantly every two years.”

The board will hold another workshop on the matter, and once a proposed attendance zone is agreed on, public hearings will be held before a final decision is made.