Parents upset over Allen ISD's rezoning plans

ALLEN, Texas - Some Allen ISD parents say they feel blindsided by the district's proposals to address overcrowding in some schools and declined enrollment in others.

The potential plans include closing a couple of less crowded schools, repurposing them and shifting kids around.           

Parents took an opportunity to express frustration at Monday’s district meeting.

Dozens of parents went to the meeting urging the school board to reconsider its plans.

The district told parents there will be a public meeting next month for them to voice their concerns. 

Dozens of Allen ISD parents and students stood outside of its school board meeting Monday urging the district to reverse course on possible changes that would affect where their kids go to school.

"They told us upfront they were looking at the entire school district because there is overcrowding on the west side," said parent Michelle Boren. "Yet here it is. They are taking away two schools on the east side. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense." 

The district says schools in the city’s west side are starting to get overcrowded. On the east side, there are more schools, and enrollment is down.

Last week, the district sent parents this message talking about the enrollment challenges.

It brought up some proposals, which included rezoning the school district and repurposing two schools on the east side: Anderson and Rountree elementary schools.

"It seems like at best this will be a Band-Aid on a problem that will continue to happen because most of the development is still occurring on the west side of Allen," said parent Holly Barnard.

What’s not in the plan is building any new schools, and the district didn’t provide much more information than what was in the message.

"We haven’t seen the actual proposal, and they are not publishing the redistribution maps to show where our kids will be going," Boren said. "This doesn’t just affect Anderson. It actually affects everyone." 

Rezoning was not on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting. Public hearings are set to start next week.

"I bike to school with my kids every single day school day. It’s their best part of the day, and it’s mine as well," Barnard said. "I can’t imagine any parent out there who wouldn’t fight for their school, if AISD came in and said, ‘We are going to repurpose it and exclude you.’"

A final proposal will not be given to the board until Nov. 14 at a board workshop.