Black dots covered a map of proposed boundary changes within the West Ada School District on Tuesday night, but staff members assured concerned parents that they understand shifting students to new schools is not about dots.

“I know every one of those dots is a student that belongs to a family, and it does have an impact on your family,” said Miranda Carson, director of transportation and planning, at a town hall at Pleasant View Elementary.

The district this month presented parents with a first draft of boundary changes, called the Blue Proposal, that could impact 700 elementary students and 100 middle schoolers this coming school year. The district is opening up Independence Elementary in Star in 2026 and that new school needs boundaries. Meanwhile, some schools in West Ada are overcrowded and some are below capacity. The district’s enrollment dropped by 421 students this year, but some areas are seeing rapid growth with new developments coming in.

District spokesperson Michelle Edmonds said the the only mechanism the district has to optimize capacity throughout West Ada is to adjust boundaries. The sweet spot for schools is between 70% and 95% capacity.

“It’s a huge numbers game,” Edmonds said. “We have 59 schools. To try and figure out where 39,000 plus students go — it’s tough.”

The district is gathering feedback on the Blue Proposal. Over the next three months, the district will consider that feedback and adjust the plan several times until the Board of Trustees on Feb. 9 takes a final vote. An online survey is open until Nov. 26.

“This is just the beginning,” Carson said. “The survey is live and the story map is online, so you can really get your hands into the map and see how it impacts you and your neighbors.”

Several parents in attendance said they understand what the district is doing and why boundary changes are needed, but they are frustrated that their children will have to change schools and leave their friends behind.

Parent Audra Taylor said the proposal means her fourth grade daughter would have to change schools for her final year at the elementary level. She asked staff about grandfathering in students so they can stay at their schools for one more year.

“I think it’s just hard on her,” Taylor told EdNews after the meeting. “Having to start and make new friends, start a whole new environment.”

Parent Stephanie Yeakley said her family is building a home and carefully researched the local schools. Now, before even moving in to their home, the proposal would shift her second grade child to a different school.

“While we understand, it’s just also frustrating,” Yeakley told EdNews.

The Blue Proposal does not include any grandfathering, but the Board of Trustees could decide to include it.

“It’s a common desire for families to have some kind of grandfathering in and that is something that we are going to discuss with the board and with the committee about what that would look like,” Carson said.

Under the proposal, 694 students at Willow Creek, Star, Eagle, Pleasant View, Ponderosa, Hunter, Meridian and Chaparral elementaries would be impacted.