Northwest ISD to Vote on High School Rezoning Plan That Would Send 996 Students to New Campus

Northwest Independent School District faces a capacity crisis as its three existing high schools approach or exceed their designated limit of 3,200 students each. The district is preparing to open Davis High School in the coming academic year and is finalizing attendance boundary changes to distribute student enrollment.

District projections indicate that Eaton High School would enroll nearly 3,400 students without the new campus. Northwest and Byron Nelson would each enroll more than 3,100 students. Davis High School will begin operations with approximately 996 freshmen and sophomores. The school plans to add one grade level per year for the next two years.

Trustees scheduled a vote on the proposed boundaries for Nov. 9. Following a public meeting on Oct. 20, district spokesperson Anthony Tosie stated on Oct. 27 that officials are considering revisions based on community feedback. The district aims to notify families of any final adjustments by Nov. 2.

The proposed lines are designed to create a stable attendance zone for Davis while shifting portions of the current Eaton, Northwest, and Byron Nelson zones. District officials stated that the boundaries were drawn using enrollment projections, population densities, and long-term growth expectations. A primary goal was to prevent students from changing schools more than once during their high school years.

Parents at the meeting questioned whether this strategy provided sufficient stability for middle school students. Misty Kleman, whose eighth-grade daughter attends Chisholm Trail Middle School, noted that her daughter’s class has already faced prior boundary changes. If the new lines are approved, Kleman’s freshman son would remain at Northwest for athletics, while her daughter would attend Eaton.

Transportation logistics drew specific concern from residents. Celia Weithorn of the Bridgeview housing development in Haslet lives three miles from Eaton, a commute that takes 10 minutes. Under the proposed boundaries, her child would attend Davis, a trip she estimated would take at least 30 minutes. She questioned why nearby neighborhoods were moved to Davis while farther areas were rezoned into Eaton.

Superintendent Mark Foust acknowledged that arterial roads are 10 years behind the district’s growth. He stated that the district cannot keep buses and students off these major routes. Foust explained that Davis requires a sufficient number of enrolled students to support academic programs and athletics. Team sports at Davis will compete at the junior varsity level in the first year, while individual sports will compete at varsity.

The district allows students in their sophomore, junior, or senior years to remain at their current high schools if they maintain good attendance and behavior. This option is not generally available to students assigned to Davis. Lindsey Dunkel of Spring Ranch Estates in Haslet asked why her freshman daughter, a cheerleader at Eaton, could not stay. Foust suggested that delaying rezoning for certain peripheral neighborhoods might be an option, though he could not guarantee changes.