The Irvine Unified School District will hold four upcoming parent forums to share information on proposed changes to the district’s high school attendance boundaries. The sessions, which are open to families from any school, are scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. and will take place on the following days (and at the following locations):
- Wednesday, March 19 in the Woodbridge High School Staff Lounge
- Monday, March 24 in the Irvine High School Theater
- Wednesday, March 26 in the University High School Multi-Purpose Room
- Tuesday, April 1 in the Northwood High School Media Center
As the maps below indicate, the vast majority of IUSD students would not be impacted by the recommended changes. But planning for the district’s fifth comprehensive high school requires a modest reconfiguration that may affect Irvine students who are currently enrolled in kindergarten through the sixth grade, as well as current seventh-graders who live inside the proposed boundary for the fifth high school. IUSD is planning to open the new school by September 2016 with just freshmen and sophomores, though juniors will be added in 2017 and seniors in 2018 as the inaugural class advances. The campus, set to occupy one of two potential locations near the Orange County Great Park, will serve Irvine's newer communities and alleviate crowding at Irvine, Northwood, University and Woodbridge high schools. Meanwhile, a new high school requires the formation of new attendance area, and boundary adjustments will be needed to ensure enrollment is balanced districtwide. The latter consideration is an important one, as IUSD’s Board Policy calls for high schools of no more than 2,400 students when possible. With the dramatic residential growth we've seen in Irvine, keeping high schools at this size has been an ongoing challenge. Tony Ferruzzo, a facilities consultant and former IUSD principal, delivered this presentation on the proposed changes at the March 4 Board of Education meeting. The recommendations, he said, were drafted by the district's Boundary Advisory Committee, which includes district staff, as well as one principal, one teacher, one student and two parents from each of IUSD’s comprehensive high schools. Ferruzzo said the panel has met regularly since October. After receiving public input, the school board is expected to vote on the proposals in June, though changes wouldn't take effect until the fall of 2016. Again, families can find out if they're impacted by taking a look at the maps below -- click on each one to enlarge -- and they can learn more by attending one of the upcoming parent forums. Additional developments will be posted on the IUSD website and here on the IUSD NewsFlash. 
