District recommends boundary plan for new Elementary 17; board discusses grandfathering and military exceptions

Papillion-La Vista Community Schools staff presented a boundary study May 12 for a new Elementary 17 and recommended the board adopt “Concept 2,” with grandfathering for current third- and fourth-graders to allow them to complete fifth and sixth grade at Prairie Queen Elementary and strong consideration of grandfathering for active military families.

The boundary work began in October and included an enrollment forecast from consultant RSP & Associates, input from internal and external boundary committees, three community forums in April and multiple board subcommittee reviews. The district tested three initial scenarios before narrowing to two public concepts that drew split community feedback.

The two concepts tested different ways to split the existing Prairie Queen attendance area around 114th Street and Lincoln Road. RSP’s projections showed an early “114th Street” concept would leave Prairie Queen substantially smaller than the new school — a projected 192 students at Prairie Queen and 400 at Elementary 17 by the 2026–27 school year — a distribution district staff said would be unbalanced.

The two preferred options offered more balanced enrollments:

- Concept 1 (a modified 114th split): projected 314 students at Prairie Queen and 277 at Elementary 17 in 2026–27; over time Elementary 17 would grow larger. Under concept 1, about 53 current third- and fourth-graders could be eligible for grandfathering to remain at Prairie Queen.

- Concept 2 (shift the dividing line to better balance enrollment): projected 301 students at Prairie Queen and 291 at Elementary 17 in 2026–27 and five-year projections of roughly 337 and 321 respectively. Concept 2 would leave 79 current third- and fourth-graders eligible for grandfathering.

Staff also provided counts for younger siblings and military families to inform a potential grandfathering policy: if grandfathering extended to younger siblings, concept 1 would add approximately 30 students and concept 2 would add approximately 46; military-family totals identified through student records were 13 in concept 1 (including three third/fourth graders) and 21 in concept 2 (including 11 third/fourth graders). Dr. Villareal said those military-family counts come from family self‑identification during student verification and may include reserve-status households.

Parents who attended three district forums (about 40 attendees in total) raised practical concerns about transportation and safety — particularly because 114th Street is slated to be expanded to four lanes — availability of before/after-school care ("Kids Club") and the effect of splitting neighborhood friend groups. Dr. Villareal said the foundation’s Mr. Denker assured the district that Kids Club would be available at the new school at its opening, though registration details remained to be finalized.

In the board discussion several members said they preferred Concept 2 for longer-term balance and to limit splitting a single elementary attendance area across both high-school pathways. Several trustees supported grandfathering third- and fourth-graders into fifth and sixth grade but voiced concern about near-term effects on class sizes at Prairie Queen if full grandfathering were adopted. Several members also supported a clear exception or stronger consideration for active military families, citing frequent relocation for those children.

The board did not take a final vote. Staff said a final action could come at the board’s next regular meeting in June or the July meeting, and they will return with precise implementation language — including any sibling or military-family provisions, transportation plans for students crossing 114th Street, and details about Kids Club enrollment.