District staff present proposed boundary changes for Oak Hill and Talahi/Lincoln areas; no vote tonight

District 742 staff presented a proposal to adjust elementary attendance boundaries that would move the St. Augusta area (County Road 8 south of Minnesota Boulevard) and portions of the Talahi/Lincoln area into the Clearview attendance zone beginning with the 2025–26 school year.

Nikki Hanson, assistant superintendent for E5 Learning, and Jewel Heitkamp, executive director of operations, described the recommendation as a response to current space constraints at Oak Hill and Talahi and relatively available capacity at Clearview. Hanson said the Oak Hill adjustment is “all of the area south of I‑94 and then all of the area that’s east of 43rd Avenue,” and that the proposal would affect approximately 23 families in the Oak Hill area. The Lincoln/Talahi area was described as larger, affecting roughly 89 families (about 100 when pre‑K is included).

Why it matters: Staff said the change would relieve crowding at Oak Hill and Talahi, and would be optional for families with existing District 742 students during the 2025–26 transition year. New students would be assigned to Clearview. Kindergarten students with siblings would use the same in‑district transfer/waiver process under Policy 599 that Clearview immersion families currently use, staff said.

Transportation and outreach: Staff told the board they analyzed routes and expect minimal change to ride time because buses already serve overlapping immersion and neighborhood runs in the area; the proposed line would avoid crossing the University bridge. Hanson said the district emailed both school communities on the Monday before the meeting, offered opportunities for parents to ask questions, and posted interactive maps on the district website; a Department of Education tool (address‑finder overlay) was used to help families determine whether their street falls inside proposed boundaries.

Board questions and next steps: Board members asked about bus travel times, the community outreach process, and how families would be notified. Staff characterized this item as a discussion item meant to generate questions and community feedback; they said the board will see the item again as an action item in a future meeting.

Ending: No formal action was taken tonight. Staff said more detailed maps and an online address finder are available on the district web site and encouraged families affected to contact district staff with questions.