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BCSC outlines redistricting process as Maple Grove elementary set to open in 2027
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Summary
Bartholomew Con School Corp leaders described a year of data work, priorities and public sessions for district-wide redistricting tied to the Envision 2030 building program; the district will not propose specific boundary maps until fall enrollment numbers are finalized.
Chad Phillips, superintendent of Bartholomew Con School Corp, told dozens of parents and residents that the district will undertake a district-wide redistricting tied to the Envision 2030 facilities program and that proposed school boundaries will not be presented at this round of meetings.
Phillips said the effort accompanies a new elementary school, Maple Grove, and aims to ensure "no matter where your child goes to school, they have access to quality facilities, quality programs, and quality teachers and staff." He emphasized trade-offs the committee will weigh, including bus ride times, neighborhood splits, program continuity and minimizing student disruption.
Nick Williams, who led the evening's presentation on process and data, said the district began study work in 2023 after long-range facility planning and that the board approved bonds in December 2023 to fund Envision 2030 projects. Williams said the district adopted new transportation-software tools in 2024 to map student locations and model boundary changes and will update maps again after October enrollment finalization.
Williams laid out several operational priorities that will guide mapmaking: preserve neighborhood integrity when possible; maintain current grade configurations (elementary pre-K'66, middle 7'68, high 9'612); preserve magnet and signature programs; and minimize student transitions and bus run times. He said choice options between high schools (North and East) will remain in place.
Presenters supplied a snapshot of current enrollments and disparities: elementary enrollments range from about 861 (Southside) to 336, a 550-student gap that the district said complicates resource allocation. Middle schools were described as relatively balanced (Central 883, Northside 948). Williams also said free-and-reduced lunch rates vary markedly across elementaries, producing a 41 percentage-point gap between the highest- and lowest-poverty schools.
Transportation figures were a focal point: Williams said the district's longest bus ride is 1 hour and 14 minutes, with 30 stops and 49 students on that route, and noted that Maple Grove's planned location along State Road 46 could shorten some lengthy runs.
Williams described several long-standing boundary oddities the study will examine, including split neighborhoods (Shadow Creek, Candlelight Addition) and pockets that are unattached to surrounding districts (example given: Prairie Stream). He said the district is coordinating with city planners, an external demographer and peer districts, and will use housing projections and updated software runs to make recommendations.
Public engagement and timing: Williams said the district will hold additional public sessions late fall into early 2027, present proposed boundaries to the school board during 2027 and implement elementary boundary changes when Maple Grove opens in August 2027. He said any high-school boundary changes would be delayed until the 2829 school year because of earlier high-school scheduling and open-house timelines.
The district invited questions after the presentation and said it will compile an FAQ from community input on its project website and at subsequent meetings. Phillips closed the session by reminding attendees to leave question cards or speak with staff after the meeting.
