Ranch @ Brushy Creek Opposition to LISD's Attendance Boundaries Proposal

Ranch @ Brushy Creek - Petition AGAINST LISD’s Attendance Zoning Recommendation

LISD formed a committee to make attendance zoning recommendations. According to LISD, the committee looks at several factors to make the best possible zoning recommendation to the School Board. According to the School Board approved attendance zoning charter, the expected results of a zoning recommendation are:
• Safety and efficiency
• Reasonable socio-economic balance among the campuses
• Balanced enrollment sizes at existing campuses

The proposal was made to help alleviate anticipated future overcrowding at Henry Middle School (HMS). The Committee states that the new feeder pattern recommendations were based upon:
• The proximity of neighborhoods to the new middles school
• The need to keep students within walking distance at their neighborhood campuses.

However, the Ranch at Brushy Creek (RaBC) is approximately 1.5 miles from Henry Middle School. Under the proposed plan, students who live at the RaBC in Cedar Park will travel approximately 4 miles, passing Henry Middle School, across a major intersection, to MS #8 in Leander. At the same time, students who are within walking distance of Cedar Park MS will be bused 4-5 miles across a major intersection to HMS.
 
Concerns
• The RaBC (NBCD 1725) was not represented on the Attendance Boundary Committee.

• The safety of our children – the proposed rezoning forces our children to be bused an additional 5 miles of travel each day on the highly congested Parmer Lane and across the Parmer Lane /1431 intersection. The Cedar Park Police Department listed this intersection as the 3rd ranked most dangerous intersection in 2009. The risk will increase with the additional traffic resulting from the development of Schlitterbahn, new housing developments and businesses.

• The distance between VRHS and MS #8 and the rush hour traffic in both the early morning and late afternoon will make it difficult for parents who have children in both schools, who attend school sponsored activities, to arrange transportation for their children.

• LISD has confirmed that the RaBC only has 63 current Middle School students of which several will transition to VRHS next year. Does such a small number warrant the RaBC being rezoned? We have approximately 25 - 5th graders at Reagan Elementary. Under the current proposal our children would be separated from their elementary classmates and forced to attend a new school without the support of their friends.

• The RaBC has been notified by our HOA that LISD has land under contract to build a new elementary school in the front of our neighborhood. We have a community meeting scheduled with LISD on October 13 to discuss this. It would make more sense to wait on any rezoning of the RaBC until after this school is opened.

• RaBC may experience a decline in property values due to the loss of a middle school in our community.

• A strong sense of community cohesiveness is critical to the success of schools and communities. It is difficult to maintain a sense of community when our schools are well outside of our community boundaries. Once Vista Ridge HS is over capacity, will RaBC students again be redirected to a school outside of our community

• Volunteerism and involvement by RaBC parents will decline due to the distance to the school.