Edmond Majorly Redistricting School Boundaries For First Time In 18 Years

Edmond Public Schools is redrawing district boundaries and revealing the proposed maps.

“In a fast growing district, this happens,” said Superintendent Bret Towne for Edmond Public Schools.

Towne said the district-wide realignment for Edmond Public Schools is due to explosive growth and the opening of the new Heartland Middle School.

“Really it is about re-balancing the district,” Towne said. “It's been almost 20 years since we've had to do this,” he added.

A committee of more than three dozen school staff members, parents and teachers crafted the new boundaries. They did not want to break up middle schools, but elementary schools will be affected.

“One of the offshoots of that is it happens in elementaries now in some of them, where elementaries are split, but we don't have a split in the middle of their education,” Towne told News 9.

Under the proposal, Cheyenne and Sequoyah Middle Schools will go to North High School; Central and Cimarron Middle Schools go to Memorial High; and Heartland and Summit Middle Schools go to Santa Fe High.

“Regardless of their performance now, you just can't have that many kids in a school built for 1100 and you can't put 1600 or 1700 kids in it,” Towne said.

The biggest change is the feeder pattern for Centennial Elementary, which will now go to Central Middle School.

If the district does not change boundaries, Towne said the result would be devastating.

“Do you want 40 or 50 kids in a class or you are turning kids away or what do you do,” Towne asked.  “Well, this is the best plan that we can have right now,” he added.

Parents can weigh in on the boundary changes at two open meetings scheduled for February 11 and February 18, at 7 p.m. at the EPS administration center. Then the board will have the final vote.

Current high school students can stay at their high schools. The EPS board of education is considering making the same rule for current middle school students.

Click Here To See The Maps