Boundary Process Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- Are there any areas of town or any schools that won't be affected by boundary changes?
- What schools are the most crowded now?
- Will open enrollment be loosened after if families wish to continue at old school if displaced?
- Will kids in elementary schools affected by the boundary change be able to finish their 4th or 5th grade year at their current elementary?
- Will split schools (like Churchill/Hoover) be considered?
- So if my kids are in high school now, they will stay in that high school for good, right?
- If there is another elementary built in the next 5 ish years, how might that affect boundary changes? I'm worried that my daughter could end up going to 3 elementary schools in her K-5 years.
- I don't know much about other schools except the one in my neighborhood. If my kids have to go to a different school, how will we get to know that one?
- Which elementary schools are likely to have new boundaries drawn? Will it mostly be NW and NE elementary schools that will have new boundaries?
Are there any areas of town or any schools that won't be affected by boundary changes?
What schools are the most crowded now?
Will open enrollment be loosened after if families wish to continue at old school if displaced?
Will kids in elementary schools affected by the boundary change be able to finish their 4th or 5th grade year at their current elementary?
Will split schools (like Churchill/Hoover) be considered?
So if my kids are in high school now, they will stay in that high school for good, right?
If there is another elementary built in the next 5 ish years, how might that affect boundary changes? I'm worried that my daughter could end up going to 3 elementary schools in her K-5 years.
I don't know much about other schools except the one in my neighborhood. If my kids have to go to a different school, how will we get to know that one?
Which elementary schools are likely to have new boundaries drawn? Will it mostly be NW and NE elementary schools that will have new boundaries?
Committee and Process
- Even though this will be a community committee, are district staff (teachers) who live in Rochester allowed to serve on the committee if selected?
- Will School Board Members be included within the Boundary Advisory Committee?
- When will we see a first pass of the actual proposed boundary changes?
- Why are you waiting until after the Options Development to do the Outreach and Focus Group stages?
- Who will be the final decision makers on boundary lines?
- In the past, we have seen the school board overrule the majority of the community vote/concerns. Will we be given the opportunity to see what the community wants compared to what the school board ultimately decides?
- How is equity balance determined? Or how is it determined that one school has higher needs than others?
- To clarify, you had a whole list of options about what is most important in making the decisions. Who is voting or deciding which options are the best?
- If there are more applicants than positions, how will people be chosen? Lottery? That is the only fair method.
- How can we be assured that the committee will have the ability to draw from community feedback and to develop proposals, rather than being given set options to choose from and present to the Board?
- How can the public NOT on the committee watch the meetings per open records law?
- During this tumultuous year with so many children and families already under a great deal of stress can you explain the urgency of this being addressed?
- Will the committee have equal representation by quadrant?
- What happens if large groups of parents in specific re-zoned areas are unhappy with the proposed options?
- When will people who are chosen for the committee be notified?
- What are the goals for creating new school boundaries?
- Do teachers usually get shuffled when boundaries change?
Even though this will be a community committee, are district staff (teachers) who live in Rochester allowed to serve on the committee if selected?
Will School Board Members be included within the Boundary Advisory Committee?
When will we see a first pass of the actual proposed boundary changes?
Why are you waiting until after the Options Development to do the Outreach and Focus Group stages?
Who will be the final decision makers on boundary lines?
In the past, we have seen the school board overrule the majority of the community vote/concerns. Will we be given the opportunity to see what the community wants compared to what the school board ultimately decides?
How is equity balance determined? Or how is it determined that one school has higher needs than others?
To clarify, you had a whole list of options about what is most important in making the decisions. Who is voting or deciding which options are the best?
If there are more applicants than positions, how will people be chosen? Lottery? That is the only fair method.
How can we be assured that the committee will have the ability to draw from community feedback and to develop proposals, rather than being given set options to choose from and present to the Board?
How can the public NOT on the committee watch the meetings per open records law?
During this tumultuous year with so many children and families already under a great deal of stress can you explain the urgency of this being addressed?
Will the committee have equal representation by quadrant?
What happens if large groups of parents in specific re-zoned areas are unhappy with the proposed options?
When will people who are chosen for the committee be notified?
What are the goals for creating new school boundaries?
Do teachers usually get shuffled when boundaries change?
Programming
- Will the choice elementary schools (45/15 schedule, Montessori, Spanish) be changing locations?
- Why are Lincoln, Washington and other 'district wide' schools being treated differently than Friedell?
- Does this process assume District-wide schools will close (like Friedell)?
- Where will the staff from Friedell go? To the new school or split up?
Will the choice elementary schools (45/15 schedule, Montessori, Spanish) be changing locations?
Why are Lincoln, Washington and other 'district wide' schools being treated differently than Friedell?
Does this process assume District-wide schools will close (like Friedell)?
Where will the staff from Friedell go? To the new school or split up?
New Schools
- I thought the new elementary school was opening Fall 2021, but the boundaries aren't being decided until September 2021. How is that possible?
- When would teachers be assigned or hired for that new school in order to provide visits?
- Will the new middle school be as big as the others?
- Why are all of the new schools in the north side of town?
- Will the new NW elementary school be a K-5 school or will it also include early childhood?
- Can you please review when all the new schools will open? New NW elementary-2022-2023, high school? new middle school?
- Will RPS reserve student space in the new elementary school for houses that have not yet been built? Students that are not yet living in this boundary (or even in Rochester)?