Alvin ISD Zoning Changes Passed Unanimously
UPDATE: The informational meeting for all parents of kids affected will be held at the Pomona Elementary School at 4480 Kirby Dr in Manvel on Tuesday, February 18th at 6:30 pm.
At the regular school board meeting last night, the district Trustees voted unanimously 7-0 to approve the zoning change for next year. Because of the rapid growth of the west side of the district, McNair JHS and Shadow Creek HS are at overcapacity after only a few years of being opened. As a reminder, all the Junior HS are built for 1,000 students and HS for 2,500 students. Mcnair was projected to have more than 1,300 pupils next year if nothing was done. By rezoning Pomona to Rodeo Palms JHS, the school district hopes that at least 200 kids will transition to the new school. That final number is pending the number of transfer approved. Pomona high school students are also rezoned to Manvel HS as of next year to help alleviate the 500 extra students SCHS was not built for. Manvel JHS and HS have plenty of room to accommodate more students. The main reasons the district is making those important changes are to help with the quality of education, improve safety and allow more kids to participate in extra-curricular activities.
The transfer policy has been expanded for this year only for those facing rezoning school change. One exception, the current 5th and 8th graders are not eligible for transfer and they must go to their new zoned school next year. The window for transfer request will be only 3 weeks and will start next Monday, February 17th and end on March 6th. Kids with attendance or disciplinary issues might not get their transfer approved. If those problems start occurring next year, they could have their transfer revoked. Here are the approval guidelines for transfer:
- Attendance – less than 5 absences, of any kind, in the previous school year.
- Tardies – less than 5 tardies, in the previous school year.
- Discipline – less than 3 discipline referrals
- Discipline – no significant discipline consequence, ISS, OSS, or alternative placement.
As far as transportation goes, transferred students will NOT have access to school bus transportation as the district does not have the resources to do so. All rezoned students will have transport provided as long as they meet state criteria.
It is expected for Manvel HS to be overcrowded for school year 2021-22 until HS no 4 opens the following year. The district is not worried about this since the school has already experienced overcrowding and still has the temporary classrooms available. Once the future HS opens in Iowa Colony in 2022, students from Manvel HS and Alvin HS will be rezoned there. The superintendent made it clear though that no students will be rezoned more than once. Those living in Pomona can be assured that Manvel HS should be their last stop.
Alvin ISD plans to inform the parents whose child face rezoning changes by updating the website, school newsletter, letters by mail and finally a meeting will be set up in Pomona sometimes next week to inform parents and answer questions.
As a side note, the district adds 24 new students every single week!!! I will provide some links below for references.
Video of Feb 11th board meeting (starts at 50 min 58 sec)
