Rockwall ISD Board approves attendance zone for Elementary School 14

(ROCKWALL, TX – Dec. 20, 2016) The Rockwall ISD Board approved the attendance zone for Elementary School 14 — now known as Lynda Lyon Elementary — during its meeting on Monday, Dec. 19.

Board Member and Board Secretary Russ Childers made a motion to approve Scenario 2B as the attendance zone for the new elementary school, which was seconded by Board Vice President Stephanie Adams and passed unanimously. Board Member Leigh Plaguens was absent from Monday’s meeting. The attendance zone boundaries include the following:
-Those whose streets intersect Smirl Drive north to include Twin View Road and Wyndemere Boulevard
-West of FM 740 to include those residents whose streets intersect South King Road (Adams Trail),
-West to the Lake
-South to the district’s southern boundary

The decision follows a three-month process led by a zoning committee made up of 11 parents and two district campus administrators. During that time, the held three meetings, a public information meeting in November, and gave two opportunities for residents to submit comments online.

The approved attendance zone was one of three total scenario drafts made by the committee – Scenario 1, Scenario 2 and Scenario 2B.

Rockwall ISD Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Amy Anderson said they received around 200 comments from residents, many in regards to roadways and how traffic will be affected once the new school opens.

“In discussions with the City of Heath we realized that there are not currently any funded plans for additional roadways that would have any impact on the travel to Elementary 14 for residents of Stoneleigh, Falcon Point and residents in the eastern portion of the attendance zone in McLendon-Chisholm,” Anderson said. “We also started discussing the current drop off for Amy Parks, and discussed that that will have to change. We’ll develop that as we know what the attendance zones are and when the four-way stop will turn into traffic lights and all of those things. But we plan on parents not having to use that back entrance on Towne Center Drive as they enter Amy Parks to further separate the traffic flow.”

During the attendance zone process, residents sent emails to RISD board members raising questions about a potentially building a road to bring residents of Stoneleigh and Falcon Point into the Lynda Lyon Elementary attendance zone.

“In all the scenarios that have been presented to the board, none of them have Stoneleigh and Falcon Point coming to the new elementary school,” said Board Member Chris Cuny, who served for 10 years as mayor of the City of Heath and four years on the Heath City Council. “The question has been raised – why doesn’t the city or the school district build a road to take the purple zone and the newer homes into that district? The reason that right-of-way was shown as a future road, that was done almost 20 years ago and that was part of a thoroughfare plan we got from Rockwall saying this is where we would like to see a road someday, and that’s why right of-way was taken. Quite frankly, a lot of us on the council were questioning if that road was ever going to be built, and if they realize it’s going right through a floodplain… I hope a lot of residents understand that that road is just not cost effective today unless the state or the county or a consortium were to come together and do that.”

The RISD Board of Trustees welcomed Heath City Manager Ed Thatcher during the meeting, who said city estimates for the cost of that road would equate to around $21 million.

“FM 740 from the CVS past Amy Parks and to the intersection down there, that’s about a $16-17 million project. And this road would be a lot further than what that project is, because we would be tying into a road that’s existing in Stoneleigh Phase 5. Because it’s all the way in the creeks back there and we would have to build a bridge across there, our current estimate is about $21 million. There’s not traffic that exists now to require that,” Thatcher said.

Cuny also addressed the decision behind the location for Lynda Lyon Elementary – 2186 Trophy Drive at the south end of Heath Golf and Yacht Club.

“I don’t think a lot of people understand that we picked that site because it was donated to the district,” Cuny said. “In an effort to try and save taxpayers money, we spent years trying to find other locations and properties in neighborhoods. Either the developers wouldn’t sell it to us, or they would try to sell it to us for monies that didn’t make any sense. When Travis Ranch came along, the City of Heath was able to talk that developer into donating that property, so I don’t think a lot of people understand that that site was donated to the district. The infrastructure for that school is being paid for by the developer at no cost to the taxpayers. That was the reason elementary school 14 was chosen there, and I hope people understand that was what I believe to be a smart move on the district’s part. We’re very grateful for the City of Heath to have the developer donate that part because it didn’t cost the Heath taxpayers any money either.”

Board Vice President Stephanie Adams said while she has faith in the school district and its staff to make Lynda Lyon Elementary a success, she understands all too well the hardships the re-zoning process can have on both parents and kids, having gone through it multiple times herself as a parent.

“I serve on the Board of Trustees for Rockwall ISD, but I’m also a parent of three children in the district, and those three children have been re-zoned three times within the last 10 years,” Adams said. “I understand and can relate to the concerns and fears we have as parents for our children. I trust our administration and our staff. It has not been an easy process for any of us.”

“I appreciate that the committee has been working on this since October – hours and hours of volunteer service – pouring over data, demographics, roads, and planned roads. It’s never an easy job and is definitely a thankless job, and I appreciate the time and effort made by this committee beyond words,” said Board President Linda Duran.

Projected capacity for Lynda Lyon Elementary at its opening date in the fall of 2017 is 353 students, with 492 total students projected in five years.

Amy Parks is currently 85 students over capacity at 835 total students.

Story by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News. Map courtesy of Rockwall ISD.