West Ada approved new attendance zones. Who will they affect?
Some students in the West Ada School District will be routed to different schools next year.
The West Ada school board on Monday approved adjusted attendance zones for the 2026-‘27 school year to balance enrollment at the district’s schools and prepare for the opening of a new elementary school in Star. Independence Elementary School is expected to open with an estimated enrollment of about 530 students.
The new boundaries are expected to affect nearly 600 students, but they do protect students in certain grades from having to switch schools, the district said in a news release. Students in fifth, eighth, 10th, 11th and 12th grades will be able to continue attending their current school.
The district said the changes were developed by a parent-and patron-led planning committee. Throughout the process, the district gathered feedback and updated the proposals.
During the board meeting Monday, David Reinhart, the district’s chief operations officer, talked about the importance of involving the community in these decisions.
“They push and pull and help us draw boundaries that we think achieve the intended outcome,” he told board members, adding that this work will continue as the district grows and changes.
While crafting the changes, the district tried to minimize the number of students who would have to change schools, prevent moving students more than once, and prepare for current and future enrollment projections.
The elementary schools affected by the updates include Eagle, Hunter, Meridian, Pleasant View, Ponderosa, Star and Willow Creek. Several middle and high schools will also be affected.
Now that the changes have been approved, the district will notify the families who will be affected and flag students who will be grandfathered in and able to stay at their current schools.
The new boundary changes can be found by going to westada.org and selecting “Proposed New School Boundaries” from the timely topics section.
