District staff present draft intermediate and middle school boundary realignment to address uneven enrollment

Mustang school district staff presented a draft boundary realignment for intermediate and middle schools at the board of education meeting, saying the proposal aims to balance enrollment across campuses and limit long bus rides. The board discussed guiding principles and projected enrollment changes but did not vote on the plan.

District staff said the plan would create a flatter, more geographically based boundary map that shifts some areas to reduce severe overcrowding in the district's northern quadrant. "When we add schools and try to position ourselves so our schools do not become overcrowded," Superintendent Bradley said while introducing the presentation, "we look three to five years out so we are not having to redo this every year."

Assistant presenters described the primary goals: keep housing additions intact where possible, preserve neighborhood connections, prioritize student safety in transportation and attempt to keep bus rides under 40 minutes. The presenters said the district covers about 72 square miles and acknowledged some rural routes will remain longer than the target because of that geography. "We try to limit the amount of time we can have students on a bus when we're looking at a boundary realignment," one staff member said.

Staff showed current enrollment imbalances: Canyon Ridge intermediate currently exceeds 800 students and is expected to grow because of new housing additions in the northeast quadrant. Meadowbrook would gain about 60 to 75 students under the draft; Canyon Ridge would be reduced to roughly 750'759 students; Horizon was projected to sit near 675'700 students. Presenters cautioned these figures can shift by 5 to 10 students as enrollment data updates. They also noted some students currently travel long distances under existing boundaries; staff described an example of a student bus route potentially spanning about 7.5 miles and taking "an hour to an hour and a half" in extreme cases.

Staff emphasized the draft preserves the district's intent that one intermediate feed into one middle school where feasible, but said elementary boundary patterns drawn earlier made a strict "three elementaries into one intermediate" approach impractical in some areas. The draft uses Southwest 59th Street and Mustang Road as primary dividing lines in parts of the district to even out student counts and anticipated growth.

Board members asked clarifying questions; no formal motion or vote was taken. Staff characterized the presentation as the first draft and said the plan will be refined before any action. The board will consider the item in future meetings as the district continues its multi-year planning process.

The presentation and the discussion were presented as an informational item; no legal or policy change was approved at this meeting.