Students attending Dodd Elementary School in the future would switch to Smith Elementary as part of a rezoning change being considered by Wylie ISD.

The change would go into effect for the 2022-23 school year and beyond. Wylie ISD board members heard about the plans from Casey Whittle, assistant superintendent for human resources, at their regular meeting Monday night. No action was taken, as it was just an information item, but trustees will be asked to consider the change at a future meeting.

The change, which would affect 74 elementary students, would create classroom space for pre-k students and increase enrollment at Smith. The neighborhoods affected would be Parkside and Presidential Estates. When the district rezones neighborhoods, the district allows students and parents to stay at their current school if they choose, and the district does not change the high school they will attend. If current students decide to stay, transportation is not provided to the campus. Future students would be rezoned.

Whittle said the district uses two demographers’ data to evaluate growth and determine needs for additional facilities. Last year’s enrollment reached 17,482 students, and last year, Wylie grew by 1.5%, smaller than normal, with numbers provided going back to 2008. The pandemic affected growth last year, Whittle said. Wylie was 23rd in enrollment among school districts in DFW last year; this year, the district has 18,244 students. Also in his presentation, Whittle gave data on housing, including pricing and projected new homes.

Read more about the meeting in the Nov. 4 edition of the Murphy Monitor.

By Don Munsch [email protected]