Lake Travis ISD plans rezoning phase for 2023-24 school year

Lake Travis ISD is back to the planning phase after the City of Lakeway denied a development agreement last month during a council meeting.

LAKE TRAVIS, Texas - The City of Lakeway's population is growing, which means the elementary schools are starting to overcrowd.

"As of yesterday, March 29, about 943 students are at Rough Hollow Elementary. It was built for a capacity of 850 students," says Lake Travis ISD superintendent Paul Norton.

Lake Travis ISD and the City of Lakeway have been working closely together on building the school district's eighth elementary school for months.

In a letter sent out to parents, staff, and guardians regarding new elementary school attendance zones, it says in part:

"The unexpected result means that we are unable to build Elementary School #8 at this location. Since that time, Lake Travis ISD has been exploring other potential sites that could adequately accommodate a new elementary campus. However, even if we are able to secure a suitable site in the near future, we will not be opening Elementary School #8 in August 2024 as originally planned."

"We went back for two city council meetings in February where they ultimately denied our variances to be able to build the elementary school that we wanted to build on that at that location on Bee Creek Road," says Norton.

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To temporarily fix the overcrowding issue, the school district installed four portables at Rough Hollow and Bee Cave Elementary school.

"So, we're trying to accommodate the continued growth in our school district by rezoning some of our students to fill maybe some elementary schools that aren't at capacity," says Norton.

Superintendent Norton says parents need to keep in mind not all elementary schools will be impacted by this change.

"The proposals that we have right now would impact some of the students that attend Rough Hollow Elementary, Sweet Water neighborhood, and then maybe another small area," says Norton.

Here are the highlights of each option presented to the school board:

Option 1: A section of Rough Hollow on both north and south sides of Highlands Boulevard would be rezoned to Serene Hills Elementary School
Option 2: A section of Sweetwater would be rezoned to Serene Hills Elementary School, and a section of Sweetwater would be rezoned to West Cypress Hills Elementary School
Option 3: A section of Sweetwater would remain zoned to Rough Hollow Elementary School, while a section of Sweetwater would be rezoned to Serene Hills Elementary School, and a section of Sweetwater would be rezoned to West Cypress Hills Elementary School
Option 4: A section of Rough Hollow south of Highlands Boulevard would be rezoned to Serene Hills Elementary School, and a section of Sweetwater would be rezoned to West Cypress Hills Elementary School

In a previous school board meeting, school board members and demographer expressed their concerns on how this will negatively impact the students.

"It’s going to be difficult for anyone who gets moved. And some of the students that will be rezoned have already been rezoned. This will be their third elementary campus," says Lauren White, LTISD trustee.

"It’s likely that neighborhoods will have to be moved twice, no matter what you do, simply because of the situation you find yourselves in," says the school districts demographer.

The rezoning will start this upcoming 2023-24 school year.

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Norton says the school district is exploring potential rezoning options. They are also looking at potential option to grandfather your child at their current campus.

"We have a grandfathering clause that we've used in a situation in the past as a school district where students that are going into the fifth grade would have the option to stay at that campus and not have to have zoned them and their siblings. But after that year, then you would have to go to the school that you are zoned for," says Norton.

Superintendent Norton says they are meeting with the school board in April to discuss the rezoning plans and as soon as they make a decision, they will contact families to let them know how this will affect them.