St. Charles D303 School Board votes for enrollment, boundary analysis

St. Charles District 303 School Board members voted Monday night to begin conducting enrollment and boundary analyses. Boundaries to the district’s enrollment zones are expected to change before the 2024-25 school year.

The board voted to repurpose elementary school facilities in the district at its July 26 meeting. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, Lincoln Elementary school will close to house transition programming and staff offices and Fox Ridge Early Childhood Center will become an elementary school.

Meeting in a special session, the board voted unanimously and without discussion to approve the contract with RSP & Associates to complete an updated enrollment study and boundary analysis for elementary and secondary schools in D-303. The enrollment analysis will cost $22,000 and the boundary analysis will cost $35,400 for a total of $57,400.

Justin Attaway, the district’s chief operating officer, introduced the contract during the Business Services Committee meeting before Monday night’s special meeting. He said the boundary analysis will include the facilitation of public meetings and community surveys.

According to the agenda item, a thorough review of school boundaries is necessary in order to reopen Fox Ridge as an elementary school and to address overcrowding throughout the district’s schools.

The analyses will result in the creation of new attendance areas that account for current and future enrollment trends, which is the next step in the district’s master plan. Any boundary changes would go into effect in the 2024-25 school year.