Mountain View Whisman School District considers changing district boundaries

At last month’s Mountain View Whisman School District’s Board of Trustees Meeting, members discussed the possibility of altering the geographic boundaries of the district to accommodate projected enrollment growth. However, the need for this change has been questioned, particularly in light of an 11% enrollment decline during the pandemic.

Newly released data from the California Department of Education appears to demonstrate that the district’s enrollment has recently stabilized.

The district’s current boundaries were last redrawn in 2019 when Vargas Elementary School opened.

At the meeting, Demographer Rob Murray presented an overview of considerations that districts typically evaluate when shifting boundaries. Before formally changing boundary lines, Murray encouraged the district to consider how existing students will be impacted by the boundary change: can they stay at their current school? How will families face the prospect of their children having to adjust to a different campus and new classmates?

The Board’s considerations surrounding the district boundaries are at a significant inflection point as Google’s North Bayshore 7,000-unit development plan is set to emerge in Mountain View over the next decade. Submitted to the City of Mountain View in 2021, Google’s North Bayshore Master Plan will help realize the City’s North Bayshore Precise Plan vision. The plan is estimated to generate 1,321 additional K-8 students.

According to Google, the development will transform “an existing suburban office park into a thriving neighborhood with new homes, parks, restaurants, services and jobs”. Google has held over 60 meetings with hundreds of community members and local groups to ensure feedback is incorporated in the North Bayshore Master Plan, and the final neighborhoods reflect the community’s values and interests.

Considering projected enrollment growth as more housing is built in the region, the district’s board will continue to hold discussions on campus capacity and balancing student enrollment. No official change or timeline was announced with the meeting’s conclusion.