Brittany Kelley
KYLE — The Hays CISD Board of Trustees approved slight zoning changes for students in North Buda for the 2026-27 school year at its Jan. 26 meeting.
Prior to the vote, trustees discussed the changes at its Jan. 20 meeting. According to agenda documents, district staff proposed four zone changes, including moving:
• Students living in planning units (PUs) 44, 45, 46, 48, 49 and 50 — or Turners Crossing — from Sunfield Elementary School (SES) to Buda Elementary School (BES) and from McCormick Middle School (MMS) to Dahlstrom Middle School (DMS)
• Students in the Persimmon neighborhood, or PU 14, from BES to Carpenter Hill Elementary School
• Students in PUs 20 and 21 — in the Cole Springs Road area — from BES to Elm Grove Elementary School
“We wanted to take a look at some areas that are not that developed for the most part and try to prezone those into schools to kind of officially use our capacities where we can,” said chief communication officer Tim Savoy, adding that these changes would be limited, as the opening of Elementary School #19, Middle School #7 and High School #4 will cause extensive rezoning in the future.
He shared that the areas brought forth to the board during this meeting will most likely not be affected by future zoning changes.
This plan would especially aid in areas, such as the Sunfield subdivision, where the population is continually booming, said Savoy, and would provide the district a few years until the new elementary school opens. Additionally, voters will be able to choose whether or not to fund a new middle school on a future bond to provide relief for MMS.
Even with these students attending DMS, he emphasized that the school will still be below 100% capacity in 2032.
Savoy explained that if the district doesn’t take any action for rezoning, then SES would be at 200% capacity within 10 years.
Trustee Johnny Flores began discussion by noting that it may seem like an insignificant amount, but it still allows ease on the schools that are reaching capacity.
“I appreciate you being proactive and asking, ‘How can we take some of the burden off,’” said Flores.
Families that would like to stay at their existing schools until completion, Savoy explained, may do so after the attendance zone changes. Though, the school bus routes will change and not accommodate this choice.
“My concern is just I don’t want to move kids to just move them again,” said trustee Geoff Seibel, which was echoed by trustee Courtney Runkle.
In response, Savoy stated that he doesn’t anticipate students in Turners Crossing having to be moved again, since, in the future, parts of the Sunfield subdivision will have to go to the new elementary school, which aims to open in 2028, because there is simply not enough space at SES for the growth.
“I want, also, to put this on the record. So, as we are moving kids from these areas that may be not quite there yet [in capacity], we are going to be pushing additional traffic onto [FM] 967 toward Johnson High School, which makes me want to scream and all kinds of things,” said Runkle. “I’d like to know how Cassandra [Behr, director of Transportation] plans to deal with that and busing and routing with having more kids have to sit on that road because we have elected officials that don’t care about roads.”
Savoy stated that they have worked with Behr and that she has “blessed” this zoning change. He also explained that the amount of students that it would affect, as they are now going to DMS, would be 25, amounting to one bus.
At the Jan. 26 meeting, Runkle stated that she is still struggling with this agenda item, simply for the fact that the district wide rezoning is quickly approaching.
The rezoning Runkle is referring to wouldn’t take place until fall of 2028, to begin in fall 2029, explained Savoy. By approving this plan, it would move approximately 100 children from MMS and 40 children from SES.
The item passed unanimously.
The Hays CISD Board of Trustees will meet next Tuesday, Feb. 17.
