Board warned major redistricting likely as housing growth pushes capacity in several Wentzville feeder patterns
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Summary
Superintendent and staff told the board large housing developments and enrollment growth in multiple feeder patterns will likely require a substantial redistricting within the next two to four years unless the district expands facilities or delays action.
District leadership told the Wentzville R-IV board that projected housing development and recent enrollment increases will make a substantial redistricting necessary in the near term, and outlined options and timing for the board to consider.
Superintendent Brian (Superintendent) summarized enrollment trends and feeder-pattern capacity, saying several feeder areas, especially Liberty and the Timberland corridor, show significant growth that will require boundary changes. "It is going to be a significant redistricting," Brian said, explaining the district is reviewing tools and scenario models to develop options for the board.
Staff presented a preliminary inventory of nearby subdivisions and proposed developments they identified through public records and municipal planning information. The list included projects with roughly: 900 homes in the Harvest at Hopewell area (Liberty feeder pattern), about 900 homes across multiple new Northpointe subdivisions, and several larger developments on the Highway K/Timberland corridor that together could add several hundred to over 1,000 homes in the district's service area. The presentation noted some sites already have lots purchased for development and that build-out timetables vary.
District staff said the timing for redistricting depends on whether the district elects to add facilities or renovate existing buildings. If no new buildings or major renovations are completed, staff estimated a redistricting would be needed for the 2027-28 school year; if capital projects are completed first, that timeline could shift by about a year. Staff recommended a multi-step process: obtain demographic and mapping tools, run boundary scenarios, hold board work sessions for public feedback, and then finalize boundaries.
Board members asked about cohort versus grade-level comparisons, class-size assumptions and how grandfathering would be handled for students midstream in a grade or school. Staff said tools the district is evaluating will let planners draw and test proposed boundaries quickly and produce enrollment projections that incorporate county parcel and developer data.
Superintendent Brian said the district will produce a range of options and expected to return with dedicated work sessions to review scenarios and to discuss potential facility and financing choices, including bonds or other capital options.
Ending: Board members said they welcomed further detail; staff said they would provide the mapping tools and scenario options and schedule work sessions to gather board and public input.