Debra Schneider visits with other parents during Monday’s meeting over the proposed attendance zone for Brandeis High School. Photo by Scott Mahon

Some Clark and O’Connor high school students will end up in the new proposed attendance zone for Brandeis High School and some parents aren’t happy about their children changing schools.

“Some kids feel like they’re getting booted out of their high school,” said one parent during a public hearing Monday over the proposed boundaries for Brandeis High School.

On the other hand, a small group of parents from Cross Mountain Ranch in the far northwest area of the Northside school district said they wanted to be included in the attendance zone for Brandeis.

Although not everyone agreed on the proposed attendance zone for Brandeis, a NISD official said the process of establishing attendance zones for new schools has worked well over the last 10 years.

“It’s pretty common for some parents and students not to want to change schools,” said Pascual Gonzalez, communications director.

Gonzalez said the boundary advisory committee, chaired by Susan Galloway, would meet again to deliberate suggestions made at Monday’s meeting held at the Marshall High School auditorium.

“The committee will probably develop their own recommendations and/or boundaries and present them to the school board at its Sept. 25 meeting,” Gonzalez said.

The proposed attendance zone is bounded on the northeast by Interstate 10 and on the southwest by Bandera Road. Loop 1604 runs through the middle of the proposed attendance zone.

Brandeis High School, which will be completed next summer, is located between O’Connor and Clark high schools at 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway near Stinson Middle School.

One of the major goals of the new high school is to relieve growing enrollment at Clark, O’Connor and Taft high schools.

Without Brandeis, Clark’s enrollment is projected to reach 4,052 students in 10 years. O’Connor’s enrollment could reach 4,600 students in 10 years without Brandeis.

Brandeis’ enrollment is expected to be 2,900 students in 10 years.

Over the next 10 years, 750 students who would have attended Clark High School will be attending Brandeis.

Also, 2,000 students who would have attended O’Connor will attend Brandeis over the next 10 years.

But 12th graders will remain at their current high school next year so that they can graduate from their current school.

Students who will end up in the new Brandeis attendance zone and who are currently transported by bus to Clark and O’Connor will be transported by bus to Brandeis.

On the first day of school this year, a record number of students started the new school year in the Northside school district.

The district is expecting a final enrollment of 85,500 students, or 4,000 more students than last year.

Gonzalez said the district still has five more high schools to build.

Brandeis High School will cost $69.5 million when completed. Its campus will be on 75 acres and will include a football field, track field, tennis courts and soccer fields.

Geri Burger, who was the principal at Business Careers High School and has been with NISD 15 years, will be the new Brandeis principal.

Students will help select the school’s colors and mascot, officials said.

For a complete list of neighborhoods that could be potentially affected by the proposed attendance zone for Brandeis, visit www.nisd.net/boundaries/23.