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Mesa County Valley School District approves boundary change moving about 300 students from Grand Junction High to Central
Summary
The district board approved a resolution to redraw high‑school boundaries that will shift roughly 300 students to Central High over four years, align enrollment with a $70 million renovation at Central, and include sibling/grandfathering provisions and dual busing during transition.
The Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 Board of Education on its November meeting approved a resolution to change high‑school attendance boundaries, moving about 300 students over four years from Grand Junction High School to Central High School.
Shannon Bingham, the district’s contract demographer, told the board the transfer is designed to “level the enrollment between the two schools via the transfer of approximately 300 students over a 4 year period.” Bingham said the change would start with incoming ninth graders next fall, allow siblings to remain at their current high school, and include dual busing for one year during the transition.
The board discussed the proposal in the context of declining enrollment districtwide and ongoing construction at Central High. Bingham said the two schools would be balanced to about 1,550 students after the change is complete and stressed that “we would not be displacing any existing Grand Junction High School students” during the phased move.
District staff also reviewed community outreach for the plan. Bingham said staff held four community meetings (three in person and one virtual), mailed notices to roughly 4,625 families in the affected attendance areas, and collected written comments. She reported limited in‑person turnout but stronger engagement at the virtual meeting; some Whitewater families expressed a preference for Palisade High School during the comment period.
Board members pressed staff on practical impacts. The plan’s timetable and transportation details were underscored: siblings and existing students would be grandfathered, a one‑year dual‑bus arrangement would be provided during the transition, and open‑enrollment and lottery windows would remain available to families as usual.
The board voted to approve the boundary resolution unanimously. Roll call recorded Chavez, Evenson, Heights, Jones and Lima voting yes; the motion carried.
The district will proceed with implementation steps, communicate next‑year sibling‑transfer and lottery windows to families, and return to the board with follow‑up updates in the spring as implementation details are finalized.
