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Residents urge district to pause boundary proposals after consultant maps trigger concern in Lincoln Crossing
Summary
Residents from Lincoln Crossing and nearby neighborhoods told the board they oppose draft boundary changes presented in a consultant report. Trustees said a recent informational meeting had been only that — informational — and promised community meetings and a formal decision later in the fall.
A consultant’s draft boundary recommendations prompted multiple public comments Thursday from parents and longtime Lincoln Crossing residents who said the proposed lines would split their neighborhood and move children away from the schools they expected to attend.
Brandon Colby, who said he has lived in Lincoln for more than 20 years, told trustees he and many neighbors feel the consultant maps would undercut the long‑term purpose of bonds paid by Lincoln Crossing residents to open 12 Bridges High School. “We’ve been paying over 20 years of bonds to build 12 Bridges High School,” he said. “Now we’re being told our children might be moved to a different high school.”
Robin Lack, another Lincoln Crossing resident who described camping out for kindergarten registration years earlier, urged trustees to explore alternatives before making any formal changes. She suggested greater use of shared classroom capacity (for example, using three classrooms in a partnered facility and the theater for upper‑class lectures), moving sixth grade into elementary to free middle‑school seats, and other non‑boundary solutions.
Trustee Keith Strutches and other board members who attended a recent special information meeting told the public that meeting was informational only and that no votes were taken. Audrey (board staff) apologized for the way some residents learned about the item via social media instead of directly from the district and said the board plans additional community information meetings in August for Lincoln Crossing and First Street; she said the board does not expect to take formal action until September or early October.
Several speakers said they were concerned about how bond payers who are elderly and without children would be notified. Trustees and staff said the district would attempt broader outreach and emphasized that the information session was intended to solicit questions and options rather than finalize any boundary line.
"I don't think anyone walked out of that room with minds made up," Trustee Strutches said of the informational session. "So if that helps in any way, shape, or form, ... the intent was not to make a decision but to address a problem and gather input."
