New School? New Environment? How Will Students Handle Rezoning Changes?

As a child you look forward to seeing that familiar face when you walk into the school house each day. So when that familiarity changes, it can sometimes be difficult to handle.

"He was placed in another class and after he was placed in that other class he didn't respond that well," says Yvone Flores.

Flore's son has already had to go through the process of changing schools and teachers once, and soon, he may have to deal with it all over again.

"Knowing that the district may switch the boundaries and that he may be going to another school, it does have me worried that maybe he won't respond as well to another teacher," Flores explains.

Abilene ISD is proposing rezoning the boundaries of five elementary campuses due to over-capacity issues.

Principal Keri Thornburg explains, "That would alleviate some overcrowding in large group situations such as during lunch, P.E. and music, but also a benefit to the students during the instructional day with their teachers as well."

Thornburg's school will be included in the rezoning plan. She says in a situation that requires young children to be moved out of their comfort zone, it is important to emphasize the positive, rather than the negative.

"We're trying to help the parents understand that smaller campuses and campuses that can hold students to optimum capacity is really a benefit for every student," Thornburg says.

Change is never easy, but in the end, AISD is hoping this one will be one that benefits each student and their family.

Flores says, "As parents, we are the first teachers and we should help them know that change has to come and i try to prepare him for that."