With Trailside Elementary set to open for the 2022-23 school year, Zionsville Community Schools is seeking feedback on two proposed redistricting scenarios.
The scenarios will be presented, and feedback will be gathered, at community meetings set for 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at Zionsville West Middle School and Jan. 20 at Zionsville Middle School.
The new elementary school on S. 875 E. south of E. 400 S. will help alleviate crowding at other elementary campuses, especially Eagle Elementary, which has a student population 3 percent higher than its ideal capacity.
ZCS unveiled two proposed scenarios on Jan. 12. In the first scenario, 79 percent of elementary students would reside in the boundary of their closest school, and 597 elementary students would attend a different elementary school, including those who would attend Trailside. Only 31 students would attend a different middle school. Trailside Elementary students would be split between the district’s two middle schools.
In the second scenario, 81.5 percent of elementary students would reside in the boundary of their closest school, and 659 elementary students would attend a different school. This scenario would send 427 students to a different middle school but not split any elementary campuses between the middle schools.
ZCS is working with consulting firm Cooperative Strategies on the redistricting process. Goals in developing the proposed scenarios are, to the greatest extent possible, to:
- Keep neighborhoods intact
- Keep elementary schools feeding 100 percent into middle schools
- Balance facility utilization relative to demographic projections
- Create boundaries most likely to forestall a rapid succession of future redistricting needs
- Transportation efficiency, times and traffic considerations
ZCS has been collecting feedback to develop the scenarios since November 2021 by meeting with focus groups. A final recommendation on the new boundaries is expected to be presented to the school board on Feb. 14.
Learn more about the redistricting scenarios and submit feedback through Jan. 26 at surveymonkey.com/r/zcsredistricting.
