Aubrey school district officials are weighing options for balancing enrollment at the district’s two elementary schools.

Superintendent James Monaco said the district plans to create a committee by October that will consider enrollment options for Brockett and Monaco elementary schools. Enrollment at Brockett is nearing capacity with nearly 525 students, while Monaco Elementary is about 70 percent full with 425 students, the superintendent said. 

The committee could consider such options as redrawing the attendance zones, moving all kindergarten classes to Monaco or moving fifth-graders to Aubrey Middle School.

Additional options for balancing enrollment at the elementary schools will be collected from the public, he said.

Once a committee is formed, Monaco said, the district will have meetings to get feedback from parents on the issue. Letters, he said, will be distributed as to when and where the meetings will take place.

“It’s really the community’s preference,” Monaco said. “We’re going to adjust to what they like.”

The school board will be updated on the committee’s progress regularly, he said, and the group is expected to present trustees with a plan for balancing enrollment sometime next year.

No classrooms at Brockett are currently overcrowded. Once classrooms reach a 22-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, all students registering late for grade levels at capacity will be enrolled at Monaco.

Last fall, the district filed for a waiver with the Texas Education Agency to increase class sizes in three second-grade classes at Brockett Elementary School and one third-grade class at Monaco Elementary. The agency approved the waiver, which was good for one year, Monaco said.

This year, however, the district won’t seek such a waiver, he said. Once one elementary school reaches capacity, all students registering for kindergarten through fifth grade will be enrolled at the campus where space is available, he said.

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com.