By Brittany Anderson
Final details are being made for Hays CISD’s 15th elementary school, scheduled to open in August 2022 around the Sunfield neighborhood of Buda.
The school was approved by voters in the 2021 bond. In August 2021, the board impaneled a 14-member Attendance Boundary Rezoning Committee to create an attendance zone map for the elementary school.
During the regular board meeting on Nov. 15, HCISD Chief Communications Officer Tim Savoy presented the board with Map Plan C, the committee’s finalized attendance zone map recommended in an 11-0 vote on Nov. 2.
Map Plan C, created by the Attendance Boundary Rezoning Committee. Photo via HCISD board meeting agenda.
Map Plan C addresses issues with previous map plans A and B, most notably by balancing the projective explosive growth at Tom Green Elementary and Camino Real Elementary, and allowing the new elementary school to open with a smaller population to allow for potential growth and time to troubleshoot issues such as traffic patterns.
Other caveats with Map Plan C include allowing affected students entering 5th grade to be grandfathered to stay at their current school, should they choose; and that remaining affected students be given first priority for transfers to remain at their existing campus if they do not wish to attend school at their new campus.
The full rezoning process can be found at www.hayscisd.net/rezone. The board will vote on the map at its next meeting on Dec. 13.
Additionally, the HCISD School Naming Committee is asking the community to assist with naming the new elementary school. Schools can be named for historical or geographical sites or communities, subdivisions, significant local, state or national figures (living or deceased), people who have made significant contributions to education in the district (living or deceased), local, state or national historical events or places, or people who have donated land or money for the property or facility.
Those wishing to submit a name suggestion may do so at www.hayscisd.net/nameform until Nov. 29 at 12 p.m. Nominations will be accepted from individuals or groups as long as they are residents, taxpayers or service providers in the district. Following the closing of the name suggestion window, the naming committee will meet to begin narrowing name options. Possible names could be suggested to the board as early as December, and a final name chosen by January 2022.
