Kentwood — Discovery Elementary School parents, staff and community members had the chance to weigh in Wednesday on the district’s proposed new elementary boundary changes, in preparation for the opening of the new Hamilton Elementary & Early Childhood Center.
About 25 parents and staff members gathered with administrators for information and updates on changes to where students district-wide will attend school next year. Current and proposed boundaries are available here and parents can find their proposed school by entering their address here.
Hamilton, at 3303 Breton Road SE, will be KPS’ 11th elementary school, located in the northwest corner of the district and currently part of the Discovery attendance zone. Formerly an early childhood center, the building is undergoing a $20 million renovation project, funded through a $192 million bond passed in 2021.
“People love their school; people build relationships with those at their school,” said Superintendent Kevin Polston. “Any change to that is disruptive and we want to make sure that they have their voice heard in the process. This is what tonight is all about — making sure your voice is reflected in the final product of what we do.”
All district elementary schools will be impacted by new boundaries, but some will be affected more than others, said Sunil Joy, executive director of strategy and innovation in an interview prior to the town hall. The district is expected to finalize the new attendance zones in early 2025.
‘We believe across the board in a sense of belonging and whichever school your child is in, they will feel a sense of belonging.’
— Sunil Joy, executive director of strategy and innovation
Discovery, the largest elementary school with an enrollment of 700 students, will be affected the most. Other boundary changes will help even out enrollment in buildings across the growing district.
“Discovery has been busting at the seams for the last few years,” Joy said. “We have some very large buildings right now like Discovery. There’s a pretty big gap from big to small (school buildings).”
Addressing Enrollment Growth
The need for the new school, in the most diverse school district in Michigan and second largest in Kent County, is due to continued enrollment growth, Joy said. The community has a higher birth rate than the state average and 700 houses are currently planned for construction in housing developments.
Last school year, 9,430 students attended Kentwood Public Schools, an increase of 607 students since 2012-2013, according to data from CEPI Student Enrollment Counts. It is one of just three districts in the county that has experienced increasing enrollment in recent years.
The district recently reported another 200-student increase this school year.
“That’s half an elementary school,” Polston said.
Priorities in redrawing attendance lines are for all schools to have a similar number of students, socioeconomic diversity and for students to attend school in their neighborhood, Joy said. Those priorities were indicated by parents and staff during an initial round of community engagement last school year.
“Our community was very clear that neighborhood schools should be a priority for us,” Polston said.
Administrators addressed enrollment policies and transfer decisions:
- All students will attend their home school, except students in special programs such as special education and PEAKS, the gifted and talented program.
- Students can continue to apply for transfers to schools within the district, with prioritization given to students going into fifth grade.
- Transportation for students who transfer to another school than their assigned school must be provided by parents.
The district is also proposing to change the way students are assigned to Valleywood, Crestwood and Pinewood middle schools. Currently middle school enrollment is based on geographic location. Beginning in 2026-27, elementary schools would be assigned to middle schools as feeder schools.
The district is also applying for Hamilton to be the district’s first International Baccalaureate school, Polston said. IB is a rigorous global academic process and becoming authorized as an IB school is a multi-year process.
Ahnna Sisco was recently named the Hamilton Elementary & Early Childhood Center principal.
More Opportunities for Input
Participants asked questions and provided feedback on sticky notes, and chatted with administrators following the event.
Pam Bird, an instructional coach at Discovery, said the district has been very open with surveying staff and looking for feedback.
“We have been overflowing for several years,” Bird said. “The idea of having some reprieve and to allow for the new housing to come in, I think, is something we need. But it’s very uncomfortable, because there are so many unknowns. When we talk about the community we have our community here and a lot of us have worked here since the building opened.”
Parents and staff from other Kentwood schools are providing input as well at a total of 11 in-person and one virtual town hall events taking place over the next few weeks at all KPS elementary schools. Parents can RSVP on the district web site.
“The main thing is we do value your input,” Joy said. “This is not an easy thing. From the input we’ve gotten, it’s pretty clear that, almost exclusively, elementary families and students like their current school. That tells me they will probably like their new school as well.
“We believe across the board in a sense of belonging and, whichever school your child is in, they will feel a sense of belonging.”
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