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Fargo board approves elementary boundary changes after public outcry over longer commutes
Summary
The Fargo Board of Education approved a boundary change plan for elementary schools that will take effect in the 2026–27 school year, 7–1, after residents raised concerns about longer bus rides, sibling separation and limited transportation guarantees.
The Fargo Board of Education voted 7–1 to approve a district attendance boundary implementation plan that will shift portions of several south-end neighborhoods into different elementary attendance areas effective with the 2026–27 school year.
Board members said the changes aim to improve building utilization amid growth, while residents who spoke during public comment said the proposal would lengthen commutes and split sibling cohorts.
Residents from the affected neighborhood south of 76 told the board the plan would move many children from Bennett Elementary to Kennedy Elementary. “The school that is proposed is Kennedy. It's the fourth furthest elementary school from my house as it sits right now. Bennett is actually extremely close,” said Corey Kimley, a resident of the Bennett attendance area. Jason Prochnow, another neighborhood parent, told the board the plan would “uproot kids that are already established” and warned of more traffic and longer bus routes. Spencer Deitz said he timed routes and found Kennedy “5 to 6 miles” from his house versus “1.6 miles” to Bennett and described an added 15–19 minutes of travel on a direct drive.
Board and staff presentations explained the rationale. District staff said Bennett and Centennial are forecast to be over capacity in the next five years and that the plan redistributes students so more buildings operate at target class sizes. Missy (staff member) described the plan as the best available option after modeling several maps and noted the district will continue annual monitoring of growth and boundary impacts.
On petitions and grandfathering, administration clarified that families may petition to remain at a school but petitions are accepted only if space exists at the targeted grade level; petitions are accepted in date order. The district said students enrolled at a building next fall would be “grandfathered” (automatically accounted for in the plan) if families choose to remain, but the district will not provide transportation for grandfathered students if they live outside the reassigned attendance area. "Grandfathering allows that. Now if you have a child that's not in school next fall, you could do the our original petitioning process," Missy said.
Board members and staff acknowledged parents’ social‑emotional and logistical concerns — including young students spending more time on buses and being separated from established peer groups — and said the decision balanced multiple long‑range facility factors, feeder patterns and current building capacities.
The motion to approve the boundary change implementation plan was made by Greg (board member) and seconded by Bridal. The roll call showed Uhlenberger voting No and the remaining members voting Yes; the motion passed 7–1.
District staff said transportation routing details will be developed with the contracted bus provider, and that final route lengths and stop patterns are not yet available. Parents who asked about how petitions, continuing petitions, and sibling placement would be handled were referred to the district’s petition timelines and to staff for case‑by‑case guidance.
The board directed administration to proceed with implementation for the 2026–27 school year and said it will continue to monitor enrollment, development and facility-capacity forecasts annually.
