MIDDLE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE ZONE FAQ

The new Wayside Middle School will open in January 2026. These attendance zones adjustments will help to balance enrollment at three middle schools that will be impacted by the addition of this new facility. EMS ISD is a fast-growing school district with more than 24,223 students enrolled today. The District adds approximately 600 new students each year. EMS ISD expects to enroll more than 25,900 students by the 2029-2030 school year and nearly 28,000 students during the 2034-2035 school year.

The middle school attendance zone adjustments will take effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

The zone adjustment is designed to balance enrollment to campus capacity at Wayside, Prairie Vista, and Highland middle schools while accommodating current and future growth across the district. These adjustments could also impact feeder patterns for some elementary schools in the future.  

EMS ISD partners with leading demographer, Zonda Education, to evaluate long-term growth. Considerations in drawing these lines include:

• Space Optimization - Efficiently using buildings to reduce overcrowding when possible.
• Neighborhood Unity - Making the best effort to keep subdivisions together.
• Natural Lines - Attempting to use natural boundary lines where possible. 
• Growth - Planning for future developments so that lines do not need to be redrawn between campus openings.
• Socioeconomic Factors - Considering the socioeconomic make up of each attendance zone.
• Transportation Cost - Considering bus routes as attendance zones are developed.
• Family Impact - Considering the impact that changing attendance zones will have on families.
• Feeder Pattern Alignment - Bringing EMS ISD closer to the goal of aligned feeder patterns, keeping the majority of students together as they move through elementary, middle, and high school. 

The District utilizes a demographic services firm to assist with all projections and forecasting. Several factors are included in the projection including historical data and both current and future construction of single-family homes and multi-family developments

• Current 7th grade students may continue attending the middle school they currently attend or choose to attend the middle school they are newly zoned for.
• Current 6th grade students will attend the middle school they are zoned for beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. 
• Families of current 7th grade students who wish to remain at their current campus will have the opportunity to indicate this choice during returning student verification in the spring. 

No. Students who elect to designate to remain at their current campus will not be provided transportation.

Please submit your question at the Let's Talk website. This will ensure the appropriate district leader receives your question and can provide a timely response with the most relevant information.

As new schools open or as existing campuses experience enrollment growth, attendance zones will be reviewed and possible adjustments made to meet the needs of each campus. Any future growth at middle or elementary levels will be accomplished through new schools, adjusted feeder patterns, or the addition of alternative learning spaces.

EMS ISD works closely with the cities, county, TxDOT and other responsible agencies to advocate for safe and adequate roads and infrastructure to/from our schools and throughout our community. Please view Connect4Safety for information and ways to be involved in this community-wide initiative. 

EMS ISD works with leading demographer, Zonda Education, to regularly review zoning projections. Maps are updated once a year, at a minimum, to guide growth and future staffing.

Our current plans are based on an eighth middle school model, but we will respond to growth projections as large tracts of land could be sold in the next decade and leading to more unexpected developments.

No. We welcome all new and returning students from private, charter, and home schooling; however, predicting the amount of those students who may return at any given time proves challenging.

Students who live in the Cibolo Hills neighborhood will continue to attend Wayside Middle School. The original proposal was to move Cibolo Hills students to Prairie Vista Middle School, but after considering feedback received during the public information meetings, the Board of Trustees approved keeping Cibolo Hills in the Wayside attendance zone.