Frisco school trustees consider new high school attendance zones to accommodate the opening of Reedy High in August. (Eva-Marie Ayala/The Dallas Morning News)
Long ago, Frisco made a commitment to keep schools small so that officials could know every child by name and need, as the district’s motto goes.
But the realities of a fast-growth district mean constant building of new schools and frequently redrawing attendance zones. That’s particularly painful and tricky for high schools.
During last night’s rezoning workshop, much of the focus on how to draw lines to accommodate the new Reedy High opening in August focused on getting numbers down at Wakeland and Frisco high school.
“There is no solution that’s going to be presented that draws clean lines and opens Reedy at 9-10 (grades) that holds past two or three years,” Superintendent Jeremy Lyon said. “That’s our challenge.”
Numerous options were discussed, including one-time assignments such as zoning some Wakeland students to Reedy but noting students after them would be zoned back to Wakeland. Another option moved the eastern part of Wakeland to Frisco High, but then that would be complicated by numerous housing developments underway within Frisco’s zone.
Lyon suggested allowing next year’s freshmen and sophomores from Wakeland volunteer to attend another school regardless of where they lived.
Then he wondered if it would be worth asking Wakeland parents if they wanted the school to go to 6A level temporarily until another new high school in the north could offer relief in 2017.
To that, Wakeland parents in attendance cheered, yelling “Yes!”
But officials quickly said going to a 6A — even temporarily — would be more complicated than just allowing more students at Wakeland.
The state’s University Interscholastic League sets the 6A enrollment cutoff at 2,100 or more students. That determination decides which districts and zones schools compete in for athletics and fine arts competitions.
Frisco high schools typically have a 2,100-student capacity. Having 2,300 to 2,400 students would complicate not only classes but lunch schedules, parking, restroom facilities and more, said trustee Renee Ehmke.
Portables would need to be in place, and contracts with other districts could be at risk as sports schedules are set years in advance, officials said. Additionally, that would mean Wakeland would not compete against any other Frisco team in UIL and would have to travel for games.
“I don’t think we would be doing anyone a favor by doing that,” trustee John Hoxie said of a 6A Wakeland.
FISD officials plan to send a survey to Wakeland families asking more detailed questions about feelings for a 6A school, volunteering to leave Wakeland and other options being considered.
Trustees plan to approve new high school attendance zones in December. The proposed plans to accommodate the new Reedy High affect Frisco, Wakeland and Lone Star high schools.