Early-Decision Transfer Process Used To Prepare For Boone Opening

If you want your child to be a Hyer Husky rather than a Boone Bulldog, there’s still time to submit transfer requests.

But if you missed the early decision deadline on Jan. 17, your request likely won’t get processed until August.

HPISD officials implemented an early-decision transfer request process ahead of the new attendance zones taking effect for the 2020-2021 school year to accommodate the district’s fifth elementary school, Michael M. Boone Elementary.

District leaders revealed the mascot and colors, ‘Carolina’ blue and gold, for Boone Elementary on Jan. 13 at the school’s soon-to-be home at 8385 Durham Street.

“Opening a new elementary school next year requires significant planning, and the district needs to have reliable enrollment information so that the appropriate staffing decisions can be made.” -Tom Trigg

The Michael M. Boone Elementary Bulldog takes the stage with the Bradfield Bronco, the University Park Panther, the Hyer Husky, the Armstrong Eagle, and the Highland Park Middle School Raider. (Photo by Rachel Snyder)

It’s the district’s first new elementary school since 1949.

“No matter if you go to Armstrong or Bradfield or University Park or Hyer Elementary, we’ll all eventually be Scots,” Boone Elementary Principal Amanda Reyes said at the reveal.

The early-decision transfer request process helps families prepare for the new school year and allows district officials to make staffing decisions ahead of the new attendance zones taking effect, HPISD leaders said.

“Our goal with this process is to best serve the needs of every child, respect parents’ rights, while implementing the new school boundaries as recommended by the Rezoning Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees in October,” Superintendent Tom Trigg said.

“Opening a new elementary school next year requires significant planning, and the district needs to have reliable enrollment information so that the appropriate staffing decisions can be made,” he said.

A committee of district and campus administrators will evaluate early-decision transfer requests.

Situations the committee will consider: bullying issues, enrollment in a special program only offered at a certain campus, grandfathered status for those starting their last year at a campus (fourth grade for elementary), being approved for voluntary transfers within the district two years in a row, involuntary transfers (transfers required by administration to attend a school other than the one closest to them for reasons like space), or other compelling circumstances students might be facing.

HPISD officials said they’d notify parents by email of the committee’s decision regarding the early-decision transfer requests by Feb. 7. If a request is denied, parents are still able to appeal the committee’s decision to the board of trustees. Officials are recommending parents file those petitions by Feb. 14. The board will then have 30 days to review and act on the petition.

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Rachel Snyder

Rachel Snyder, former deputy editor at People Newspapers, joined the staff in 2019, returning to her native Dallas-Fort Worth after starting her career at community newspapers in Oklahoma. One of her stories won first place in its category in the Oklahoma Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest in 2018. She’s a fan of puns and community journalism, not necessarily in that order.

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