California

Clovis Unified to change attendance boundaries. Here’s how students are affected

The Clovis North High School bronco statue stands outside the school’s main office on campus on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
The Clovis North High School bronco statue stands outside the school’s main office on campus on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. ckohlruss@fresnobee.com

As Clovis prepares to open three new schools, it’s also planning to reshape attendance boundaries, the areas that determine where students go to school based on the neighborhood where they live.

Almost all of Clovis Unified School District areas will have neighborhoods gained and lost with the introduction of its newest facilities: Satoshi Hirayama Elementary School and the Terry P. Bradley Educational Center, which will include Clovis South High School and a still-to-be-named intermediate school.

This means some students might have to change schools depending on their address and grade.

Based on what school grade a Clovis student will be in the 2025-2026 school year, grades affected by these changes in either proposed map are:

  • Transitional kindergarten-5th grade will follow the new boundary.

  • 6th grade has the option to finish at its current school but would follow the new attendance boundary for 7th grade (younger siblings have the option to follow for one year).

  • 7th-9th grade will follow the new boundary.

  • 10th - 12th grade high school students will remain at their current school.

The district stated existing transfer options will be offered based on available space after allocating staff using the new attendance areas.

“Existing Open Enrollments approved through 6th grade remain in effect, but would follow new secondary area if applicable,” its webpage reads.

Besides staffing and enrolling students in these new schools, the district also expects these attendance boundary changes to balance enrollment across its existing facilities, because some high schools are currently overcrowded and others have seats available according to a district-conducted study.

The study showed that schools in the Clovis East Area and some in the Clovis Area are currently overcrowded, according to the district’s webpage, and some of those students likely will become part of the new Clovis South Area. Clovis North and Buchanan areas also have schools that are above student capacity, yet the Clovis West area has seatsd available, the district said.

A digital rendering of Hirayama Elementary School in the Clovis Unified School District. The district’s 35th elementary school is the first school in Clovis named after a Japanese American person and is scheduled to open in August 2024.
A digital rendering of Hirayama Elementary School in the Clovis Unified School District. The district’s 35th elementary school is the first school in Clovis named after a Japanese American person and is scheduled to open in August 2024. COURTESY OF CLOVIS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.

The district made public two proposed attendance maps on Jan. 26, and currently is collecting online comments from the community. Online, community members can also review how each school is impacted and how attendance changes for their address.

Clovis Unified also said community and school meetings are scheduled throughout February and March. After these two months of public input, the district expects to have a final map proposal by March 29, before its board makes a final decision in April.

According to the district’s webpage about these changes, community meetings across the district are scheduled for:

  • Clovis East Area – Feb. 6 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Clovis East High School’s multipurpose room (Jan. 30 online livestream available)

  • Clovis West Area – Jan. 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Clovis West High School’s multipurpose room

  • Clovis High Area – Feb. 1 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Clovis High School’s multipurpose room (online livestream available)

  • Buchanan Area – Feb. 5 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Buchanan High School’s multipurpose room

  • Clovis North Area – Feb. 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Clovis North High School’s multipurpose room

More details on community meetings and access to the livestreams are found online at https://www.cusd.com/BoundaryChangesTBEC.aspx.

The proposed maps, chart with proposed neighborhood changes and new school-area attendance assignments is found on this same webpage, under the “View Draft Maps” button.

Public comments about these proposed attendance changes can also be submitted through this page, either by scrolling down or clicking on the “Online Comment Form” button.

This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 6:15 AM with the headline "Clovis Unified to change attendance boundaries. Here’s how students are affected."

Laura S. Diaz
The Fresno Bee
Laura S. Diaz is the engagement reporter for The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab. She previously was The Bee’s COLAB Latino communities reporter. Before working in Fresno, Laura covered social justice, local government and accountability issues for The Stockton Record, and began her career working for CBS News and the Associated Press Elections Center in New York City. She grew up in Mexico and graduated from New York University with a B.S. in media communications and journalism.
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