HAYS COUNTY — Hays CISD is in the process of creating an attendance zone to accommodate the opening of the district’s 16th elementary school. The campus, located in the Anthem subdivision in Kyle, will open in August 2024.

In July 2023, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees voted to create a committee of 14 citizens to review proposed maps, receive public input and create a recommendation that will be presented to the board for a vote no later than December.

“Board policy requires the district administration to create at least two starting-point maps for consideration by the citizen committee,” said Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy. “We encourage everyone who has an opinion to reach out to the committee by using the special ‘Zone Talk’ button on the committee’s webpage or attending one of two public forums. People can also follow along as the process progresses, view the prevailing draft maps and see all of the materials presented to the committee on the committee webpage.”

Hays CISD establishes attendance zones for schools to maintain the neighborhood school concept; prevent, reduce and eliminate overcrowding; allow for future growth; keep distances traveled by students as short as possible; minimize the need for student transportation; and allow campuses to house students safely and provide adequate services to all students, according to a news release.

The new elementary school was approved by voters as part of the Hays CISD May 2022 bond election — the total project cost is $48.3 million. Construction began on the 117,611 square-foot campus in early 2023 and it features the district’s next generation prototype of elementary campus design. The campus will be able to accommodate as many as 900 students.

To learn more about the attendance zone, visit the committee’s page at www.hayscisd.net/zone2023.