By Cori Smelker
Contributing Writer

The board room was almost empty for the March 25 Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City School District board meeting, in stark contrast to a January meeting’s standing-room-only overflow crowd as impassioned parents railed against a proposed school attendance zone boundary plan.

Much has happened in the two months since that January meeting; the board’s unanimous 7-0 vote last week was the culmination of months of hard work, hours-long meetings, reorganization and restructuring so as to impact as few families and children as possible.

The district’s initial plan proposed busing more than 200 children, who used to walk to neighborhood schools, from their local schools — only to move them again in another year. The new boundaries move far less children — 60 to be exact — and impact far less of the established neighborhoods.

Board President Scott Harrod and Superintendent Dr. Belinda Pustka thanked the ad hoc committee that had been formed back in January.

“I appreciate all the hard work and the hours they put in to make this a workable plan,” Pustka said. Harrod added, “I am glad I live in a district where the parents are concerned and committed. It is better to live in a community where the people pull together and make things work. It took longer to come up with a plan, but in looking at what we have, it was well worth it.”

Trustee Terry Hinze is pleased that the older neighborhoods are the ones that are the least impacted.

“Those families were the most vehement protestors,” he said, “and rightly so. Many of them already changed schools once or twice. Now the kids most affected are from the newer neighborhoods and they would have ridden a school bus regardless of which school they were placed in.”

Parents, for the most part, are happy with the final boundaries, according to school officials who briefly spoke on the issue. Even those who were on the ad hoc committee knew their own families would be affected, but were willing to work together for the common good.

“When the community pulls together, you get things done,” Hinze said.