The Hermiston School District Board of Education approved new school boundaries at its March business meeting.
Taking effect with the start of school in the fall of 2022, the updated boundaries follow the passage of the 2019 Hermiston School Bond and the building of a larger Rocky Heights Elementary School and the addition of a sixth elementary school, Loma Vista. The school district said the two schools are larger, improved facilities and will accommodate more students, which will help to alleviate overcrowded conditions at the remaining sites. The increased campus sizes of the new buildings, along with capacity issues across the remaining campuses, necessitates adjustments to elementary and middle school attendance boundaries, the district said in a press release issued today.
The proposed boundaries were presented to the board by the district administration and the boundary committee, consisting of parents, board members, and school personnel. The committee analyzed school attendance areas, population growth, housing density studies, and feeder school scenarios. Middle school boundaries will be determined by a family’s physical address and where it falls relative to Highway 395, to the west or the east. Desert View, West Park, and Rocky Heights Elementary students will attend Armand Larive Middle School, and Highland Hills, Sunset, and Loma Vista Elementary students will attend Sandstone Middle School.
“Adjusting boundaries is a community effort,” said Dr. Tricia Mooney, superintendent of schools. “Thank you to the boundary committee members for their insight and time. The team made every effort to affect as few students as possible; although, some changes were necessary to fill the new school and relieve crowding at the remaining campuses.”
All current kindergarten through seventh-grade students recently received a letter informing the family of each student’s school for the next school year. If families have concerns that the identified school is inaccurate, they are encouraged to contact the school or district office. The school boundaries are available on the district website.
The district will consider intra-district transfer requests for the next school year in the same manner it currently does. Transfer information and forms are available on the district website Transfers page, under Parents & Community. Transportation will not be provided, and the process must be renewed annually.
Kindergarten registration will open on April 19, and student registration will open for all students in July. All students must be registered to be placed in classes and receive a schedule.
