Frisco ISD on Monday finalized its rezoning plan for the 2022-23 school year to accommodate the district’s rapid growth. Some parents say the decision was made with very little consideration for families most impacted.
The vote was unanimous, much to the disappointment of hundreds of Frisco parents, including Lawrence Wilczewski. He said the mood shifted once they realized the Board of Trustees had made up their minds.
“Defeated, deflated, any of those words you could use to take the air out of the room,” Wilczewski said.
Changes will be made to attendance zones at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. The district has changed its boundaries 17 times in the last 20 years, citing Frisco’s growth and the construction of new schools.
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According to FISD, in the past 20 years, the district has opened, on average, three schools a year and remains one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state and nation.
But Wilczewski said parents rallied and presented several different options, sent hundreds of emails, and showed up in large numbers to hearing meetings to express their concerns. He said he feels the district relied too heavily on third-party input from Population and Survey Analysis.
“You’re not listening,” he said. “I don’t think you’re hearing what people are trying to say. At the end of the day, we live here. This is where we live. PASA doesn’t live here.”
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Census data shows Frisco is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. On Frisco ISD’s website, the board explains why the decision was made. The information provided reads in part, “the approved zones help balance enrollment and resources at existing schools while preparing for the opening of two new campuses.”
Wilczewski argued the community's concerns have fallen on deaf ears. He said the primary focus should be the overall health and development of students.
“The board says, ‘Now we’re going to take community feedback,’ and said they met with our community,” he said. “I feel like they already had their minds made up.”
However, Frisco ISD said the changes do reflect feedback from the community and offered several attendance exceptions to provide families with more options.
The board issued the following statement.
After reflecting on the initial proposed zone and community feedback, the Board of Trustees has agreed to offer several attendance exceptions in hope that it will provide some families the opportunity to make decisions regarding what is best for them. Impacted families can expect emails on Nov. 9 that include maps, neighborhoods, busing information and any online forms that are related to exceptions.
School Board Trustees Finalize 2022-23 Attendance Zones (friscoisd.org)
