- Little Elm ISD
- Attendance Zoning Process for New Middle Schools
- Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is the District selecting the members of the Middle School Zoning Committee?
The committee will be comprised of 30 members from the Little Elm ISD community. The District will choose members from different geographic locations in an effort to ensure balanced representation from all areas of the District. We will consider all members of the community who may or may not have children attending a Little Elm ISD school, and who live within the District boundaries. Only one member per household will be eligible to serve on the Committee.
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Will the Middle School Zoning Committee hold meetings?
Yes. The committee will hold meetings to review the available zoning options. The meeting times and dates will be posted on the Zoning website.
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Are the Committee meetings open to the general public?
Yes. The community is welcome to attend committee meetings. However, visitors are limited to observation only.
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How can I share input on the Middle School Zoning process?
Citizens can apply to serve on the Middle School Zoning Committee by completing the application when it is released in September of 2018. Citizens can also attend one of two public meetings tentatively scheduled for early 2019. Exact dates will be shared as they are confirmed. The presentation from these meetings will be posted online for the public to review at www.littleelmisd.net/zoning after each meeting.
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Will elementary attendance zones be addressed during this process?
No. The process is only to address the two new middle schools. Elementary boundaries will not be affected.
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Is there a chance that some elementary campuses will be split between the two middle schools?
Yes. The two new middle school attendance zones may be established based on current enrollment, future enrollment trends, overall growth projections, housing patterns, transportation needs, demographic balance, and building capacities.
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How can I find out which middle school my child will attend?
Parents can search by address and see which school their child will attend by visiting our Attendance Zones page on the District website.
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When will the attendance zones take effect?
The new middle school attendance zones will take effect when the schools open in the fall of 2020.
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When is the last time the elementary campuses were rezoned?
In 2016, the District rezoned for Hackberry and Brent to balance student populations at each campus.
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When would you anticipate reopening Zellars as an elementary campus?
We do not have a definitive timeline for the reopening of Zellars Elementary. We will begin planning after the two new middle schools are completed in the fall of 2020.
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In anticipating growth, is there a plan to add another high school?
No. We have plans to add on/renovate Little Elm High School in the future. We have a long-range vision for the high school and we anticipate it serving the needs of the community for many years.
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If I am zoned for a particular elementary school, but my child attends a Dual Language campus, which middle school zone will I fall under?
Dual Language does not affect Middle School attendance boundaries. Your address determines your middle school attendance zone. The District has a transfer process that a family can apply for prior to the opening of the two new middle schools.
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What is the rate of housing developments in Valencia on the Lake versus the Oak Point area?
Templeton Demographics factors future housing development in the 10-year projection. The projected numbers are included in the proposed middle school zoning map.
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Are the two new middle schools independent of each other?
Yes. The same programs and opportunities will be offered at each school including core academics, athletics, band, STEM, CTE, etc.
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Will the middle schools have different mascots?
No. We are all Lobos.
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What are our biggest transportation cost issues?
The distance of routes as a result of our geographic layout is the biggest factor in transportation costs.
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Does the amount of economically disadvantaged students at the middle school campuses change the amount of funding the District receives from the State?
No. Funding is based on many factors but generally not economically disadvantaged status. Little Elm ISD receives some federal funding that is targeted at our Title I elementary schools.
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What is the difference between the average home prices and the economic disparity between the two proposed zones?
The District uses federal guidelines to determine its economically disadvantaged percentages. The average sale price for a new home in LEISD in the last 12 months was $345,831.
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How long is the bus ride from Paloma Creek South and Valencia to the two new middle schools?
From Paloma Creek to Walker Middle School is at least 30-45 minutes. From Valencia to Strike Middle School would also be about 30-45 minutes.
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What is the average income level of households for both proposed zones?
The District does not keep record of average income levels of parents. We use the economically disadvantaged percentages provided by federal guidelines in its calculations for each school.
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How much consideration did the Zoning Committee give to balancing economically disadvantaged populations?
Current economically disadvantaged percentages were one of many factors the Committee used to draw the draft map.
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Did the Zoning Committee discuss what enrollment numbers will be in 2020? Rezoning can always take place.
The numbers were based on a ten-year projection in hopes to reduce the number of times we have to rezone in the future.
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Are any of the facts and figures available for public review? I would like to know projected demographics aside from socioeconomic disparity.
The most important consideration to the Committee was balancing student populations ensuring both schools would be under capacity for at least the next ten years based on projections.
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I feel all of Lakeview Elementary should stay together, why is Sunset Point split up?
The Committee considered having all elementary students from Sunset Pointe in the same middle school but doing so would have caused one of the schools to be over functional capacity.
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What will the student enrollment be (number of students and % economically disadvantaged) in 2020 when the schools open?
In the draft map, Walker is projected to have 889 students and Strike is projected to have 1006 students. Economically disadvantaged percentages projections are based on current year. It is impossible to predict economically disadvantaged percentages past the current year. In the pure elementary feeder plan Walker is projected to have 1034 students and Strike is projected to have 861 students.
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What was the representation of Brent and Lakeview Elementary on the Zoning Committee?
11 of 25 Committee members live in either the Brent or Lakeview Elementary attendance zones.
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Will the funding per child be equal between the two schools?
Yes per pupil funding will be the same for both schools.
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Why is the current Lakeside Middle School not being used as a middle school after the two others open?
The long range plan for the District is to reopen Zellars as an elementary school, move administration into the LMS building, and use Powell as an early childhood campus.
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Is it possible to change the current elementary school zones to match the middle school zones to create pure feeder patterns?
Rezoning elementary schools would cause several schools to be over capacity with no room for growth.
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What is the total number of students projected for Little Elm ISD in 2028?
Little Elm ISD is projected to have approximately 10,000 students by 2028.
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How will the two zones affect transportation costs?
The two new middle school zones will have little impact on overall transportation cost.
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Will all elementary schools become STEM-based?
Yes. All elementary students will have access to the same STEM opportunities. The opportunities will be the same for both middle schools as well.
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Why can't we move the boundary for Strike to Hart Road?
The Zoning Committee considered that option and it would place Strike Middle School over capacity when it opens in 2020.
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Will students attending Prestwick via the lottery be able to go to Strike Middle School or will they attend their zoned school?
Parents can apply for a transfer through our established process. Transportation will not be provided. LEISD Student Transfer Process
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Are true feeder patterns still on the table as an option?
No. The Committee determined that a true feeder pattern would cause one school to be well over functional capacity within a few years after opening.
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Did the Zoning Committee consider a north/south zoning boundary versus an east/west boundary?
Yes. The Committee considered many options and they determined that the current Draft map was the overall best option based on several factors.