Parents Worried About Frisco ISD Rezoning

District taking public comment on redistricting plan for opening of Independence High School

Frustrated Frisco school district parents say they are worried about plans to add a new high school next year.

Independence High School is intended to relieve crowding at Centennial, Heritage and Liberty high schools. All three schools are at or near capacity, and school district officials say that projections show they will continue to grow without a new high school.

The redistricting plan for the high schools was presented to the school board on Monday night. Independence will open with ninth, 10th and 11th-graders in fall 2014.

Richard Wilkinson, deputy superintendent for business services, said the Frisco Independent School District doesn't take moving students to a new school lightly.

"We try to move as few students as possible and to limit the number of times a student will have to change schools," he said in a press release on the district's website. "Our goal is to provide the best and most equitable opportunities for all children. We hope these decisions will serve us well over time."

A large group of parents attended Monday's meeting, saying they are concerned about their children switching schools.

"Juniors being rezoned is a difficult and emotional issue and while education, obviously, is of tantamount importance, a big part of education are the social aspects that come along with that," one father said.

Another father told school trustees that he and his family would not have bought their home if they realized the district would add a fourth high school to their area when their home is very close to all three existing schools.

Frisco ISD wants all of its high schools to be at about 2,100 students, or 4A schools by University Interscholastic League standards. Independence will have with varsity sports when it opens.

The Frisco ISD school board will take public input on the plan at its Nov. 11 meeting and decide on the rezoning in December.

School district trustees soon will have more zoning issues to tackle. Frisco ISD plans to open four new elementary schools in the fall. Redistricting discussions will begin Nov. 11, with a final decision expected in January.

Frisco ISD also plans to add another new high school. Reedy High School, which is intended to relieve crowding at Frisco and Wakeland high schools, is expected to open in the fall of 2015. Zoning for that school will be decided in fall 2014.

In addition, the district is planning a bond election proposal for the spring that could include more schools.

Parents and the community can submit feedback about the rezoning for Independence High School by email, phone or fax. Centennial and Heritage parents are asked to contact Dennis Brent at 469-633-6359 or BrentD@friscoisd.org. Liberty parents are asked to contact Rick Cohagan at 469-633-6356 or CohaganR@friscoisd.org.

More: See the zoning plan for Independence High School.

NBC 5's Julie Fine and Catherine Ross contributed to this report.

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