Wentzville R‑IV presents enrollment heat maps as board weighs redistricting and timing with repair projects
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Summary
District staff showed maps and capacity figures that highlight overcrowding at Liberty High School and under‑utilization at Holt, and recommended a demographic study if the board decides to pursue boundary changes; staff emphasized timing of construction should inform any redistricting plan.
Wentzville R‑IV officials presented enrollment heat maps and capacity metrics that show localized overcrowding and urged the board to weigh redistricting only after considering maintenance scheduling.
Staff said Liberty High School is operating above design capacity (about 104%), Timberland and Northpointe are near desired capacity levels (about 85–86%), and Holt is underused (about 60%), creating localized pressure in the southeast part of the district. "Liberty houses 1,722 students in a building designed for 1,652; Holt operates at 60% with 1,003 students in a building designed for 1,673," staff summarized.
Board members raised safety and transportation concerns — for example, students making left‑turns on busy roads and long drive times from some neighborhoods — and asked what factors staff will consider in any reboundering (redistricting) study. Staff responded that a third‑party demographic study would examine future development, road infrastructure and transport implications and that those inputs are central to any proposal.
Several board members urged that deferred maintenance be addressed before undertaking major redistricting that would require temporary modular classrooms or other short‑term measures. "If the board wants to do deferred maintenance work while students are still in a building, it would not make sense to redistrict in that same period," one staff member said, recommending sequencing decisions on maintenance and boundaries.
Staff proposed that, if the board wants to proceed, the next step would be to commission a demographic study and then use the results to shape boundary options and a timeline for any ballot measures or construction. The staff said an August ballot would allow more time for planning to place work in the following summer window; later ballots push that work into future years.
The board took no formal action on redistricting at the meeting; staff will provide a prioritized maintenance list and timing information so the board can decide whether to initiate a demographic study and when to advance any boundary changes.