Parkway Attendance Boundary Update

The Parkway Board of Education unanimously approved a boundary change proposal to address space and capacity at our West and South area middle schools on November 17, 2021.

The following schools are impacted: West Middle, South Middle, Southwest Middle, and Pierremont and Hanna Woods Elementary Schools. This change impacts middle school student attendance beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

To address the overcrowding at West Middle, moving forward, all Pierremont students will attend South Middle school when they graduate from fifth grade. Hanna Woods Elementary students will attend Southwest Middle. Pierremont students will continue to attend West High and Hanna Woods students will continue to attend South High as they do now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Parkway change attendance boundaries?
Student enrollment at West Middle School exceeded the school and classroom capacity. There are significantly more students at West Middle compared to all other Parkway middle schools due to previous attendance boundaries.

Also, under our previous school attendance boundaries, some students lived much closer to another middle school than the one they attended. In other words, some of our attendance boundaries were not aligned with our board guidelines for ideal school attendance areas to support all students.

In order to address these issues, balance enrollments, and ensure a high-quality and equitable learning experience for each middle school student in Parkway, boundary adjustments were approved.

Which Parkway schools are involved?

West Middle, South Middle and Southwest Middle
Pierremont Elementary and Hanna Woods Elementary

When do the changes take place?
The new attendance boundaries begin with the 2022-23 school year for current Pierremont and Hanna Woods Elementary students.

What changes were approved?
The changes affect the following schools and feeder patterns in the district:

The feeder pattern for Pierremont Elementary shifts from West Middle to South Middle:

When Pierremont students graduate from 5th grade, they attend middle school at South Middle.
Pierremont students with siblings currently enrolled at West Middle are exempt as outlined below.
Pierremont students attending South Middle still attend high school at West High.
Pierremont students who prefer to attend South High instead of West High may request a special assignment to South High, but transportation will not be provided.

The feeder pattern for Hanna Woods Elementary shifts from South Middle to Southwest Middle:

When Hanna Woods students graduate from 5th grade, they will attend middle school at Southwest Middle. Then, they go to the high school they are already assigned to at South High.

If I live in an area that has been moved, do I have a choice to go to the middle and high schools where I planned? In other words, can I apply for a special assignment?
Yes, there are special assignment options, which are outlined below. One of our primary goals is always to keep families together.

Current grade at Pierremont and Hanna Woods this year 2021-22

The new boundaries would be phased in over several years beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

Options for Families

K-5

When it is time to go to middle school, Pierremont students attend South Middle. When it is time to go to high school, they attend West High. Hanna Woods students attend Southwest Middle and South High. If a Pierremont student attending South Middle wants to attend South High after they leave South Middle, they can request a special assignment to South High, but transportation would not be provided.

Families can request special assignments that allow their children to attend the same school. For example, special assignment will be approved in the following scenarios:

Special assignments for Pierremont students to attend West Middle will be automatically approved if they have an older sibling who will also be enrolled at West Middle the following year.
Similarly, when it is time for a Hanna Woods student to attend Southwest Middle, they may attend South Middle instead if they have an older sibling who will also be enrolled at South Middle the following year.

Transportation During Special Assignment
When a special assignment is approved, parents need to provide their own transportation to school.

Pre-K and/or not currently enrolled

Special assignments will not be considered for students who are not currently enrolled.

Do these changes impact where my child attends elementary school?
These changes do not impact where any child attends elementary school. Students will not switch elementary schools. The changes are specific to where Pierremont and Hanna Woods students will go on to middle school after they graduate from elementary school.

Which high school will my child attend?
The current high school feeder patterns for Hanna Woods and Pierremont have not changed. Pierremont students still attend high school at West High and Hanna Woods students still attend high school at South High. Pierremont students who wish to attend South High after graduating from South Middle may request a special assignment to South High but transportation would not be provided.

How do I know if I live in an area affected by a boundary change?
The change only applies to families whose children attend Hanna Woods Elementary and Pierremont Elementary. Families involved have been contacted directly. Please contact your school or call the district office at 314-415-8100 for more information.

What if my family lives in the Hanna Woods or Pierremont Elementary School attendance boundary but is currently attending another Parkway school under special assignment? Will current special assignments continue to be honored?
Yes, however, all special assignments must be re-submitted annually for approval.

Do boundary changes impact Parkway’s existing class size targets?
No. The existing class size targets will remain the same.

Community Boundary Update #1 April 20

Community Boundary Update #2 April 27

Community Boundary Update #3 October 13

On October 13, the Board had a work session to discuss the overcrowding at West Middle. If you missed it and are interested, you can watch the meeting live online here. Here is an outline to help you watch the discussion which lasted about 2.5 hours.

District update and staff survey results start at the 1:19 minute mark of the video

Board member questions and discussion start at the 1:49 minute mark

Board member comments and observations from their visits to our middle schools start at the 2:43 mark