Polk outlines timeline for Alta Vista relocation to Scenic Terrace, schedules staff and community meetings

Superintendent Fred Hyde told the Polk County School Board on Feb. 25 the district has prepared a timeline for relocating Alta Vista to the Scenic Terrace site and for community engagement if the board authorizes the move.

Hyde said staff would meet with school staff on March 11 to discuss logistics such as classroom placement and packing; the district will host a family town hall at the school site on March 12 at 5:30 p.m., and a second town hall and tour at Scenic Terrace on March 27. The board will receive a full summary and will consider the item for action at a later meeting, Hyde said.

Board members raised attendance-boundary and transportation questions. Mr. Keyes asked whether the attendance-boundary committee would be involved; staff said the plan is to use Alta Vista’s existing attendance boundary initially and modify boundaries after the replacement campus is completed. Miss Wyatt and others asked the district to consider impacts on families who had selected Alta Vista under school-choice processes and to ensure bus eligibility and stops are addressed.

District staff said the relocation would likely not be disruptive for most families because the two campuses are about a mile apart, but they acknowledged travel times in northeast Polk County can be longer than map distance implies. The board also discussed whether to move sixth grade to Scenic Terrace next year to relieve capacity pressure at Boone; Hyde said principals and staffing logistics make an immediate change difficult but that parent feedback will inform the district’s recommendation.

Why it matters: moving a school campus affects staffing, transportation, attendance boundaries and family choices. Staff will return to the board with additional details and a plan for student assignments, transportation and community outreach.