Visalia Unified School District is considering boundary changes for the 2025-2026 school year.
The district is holding three community meetings over the next couple of weeks to consider the changes.
The big picture: Around 1,000 students would be affected by the proposed changes, including those from Annie R. Mitchell, Crowley, Divisadero, Global Learning Charter, Golden West, Mt. Whitney, Ridgeview, Riverway and Royal Oaks.
- Global Learning Charter will see boundary and grade-level adjustments. Oak Grove Elementary will maintain its existing boundaries but will have grade-level adjustments.
Why it matters: Seven schools in the district currently exceed 100% utilization.
- That includes a few that surpass 120%: Mitchell, Denton and Riverway.
- On the other hand, Global Learning Charter is operating at 68% capacity.
Go deeper: For the 2025-2026 school year, Global Learning Charter will be TK-6th and 8th grades and will drop 8th grade the following year.
- Oak Grove Elementary will be TK-8th grades in 20025-2026, drop 7th grade the following year and be only TK-6th in 2027-2028.
What we’re watching: The district will hold informational sessions on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. at Annie R. Mitchell Elementary School, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Global Learning Charter and Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Riverway Elementary School.
- The VUSD board will vote on the plan on Dec. 10.
What they’re saying: “We are moving forward to a future where students have equitable access to green space, cafeterias, restrooms, and other common spaces,” said VUSD Superintendent Kirk Shrum “It’s healthy for school districts to do small boundary changes every few years, and Visalia hasn’t’ seen a large-scale boundary change since 2015. While we know we have more changes to make, this is an opportunity for us to get it right for the next several years.
- Board President Jacqueline Gaebe said this is an incredible opportunity to relieve some overcrowding that students and staff will feel in the upcoming school year.
- “Before making a decision on the plan, our board is ensuring clarity around all considering factors, including our board policy, impact on common spaces, California Department of Education requirements, financials, and community feedback,” Gaebe said. “We know an incredible amount of work has gone into developing a plan that minimizes impact, takes into account feeder patterns, and balances out our schools for the short-term.”
