Ask anyone: freshman year can be difficult. A new environment, new people and harder classes. For most students, high school can be faced with their middle school friends thanks to district feeder patterns. When district zoning plans are redrawn however, things can change fast, thus impacting the youngest members of the student body.

“I mean, it’s weird to start off new, especially without everyone we went to school with,” freshman Samuel Laird said. “It’s just unfortunate that it happened to our class.”

With the addition of the new high school, Tom Glenn, the district was faced with reshaping the zoning plan. Due to their relative proximity, Leander Middle School and Running Brushy historically made up majority of this school’s population. Under the new plan, both have been divided up between the two high schools. Leander Middle, which is located in the south of Leander, was given almost entirely to Glenn, and will now serve as its primary feeder-school. Running Brushy, the closest and largest of the two, is now divided by city lines and those living in Cedar Park neighborhoods are now zoned for Cedar Park High.

“Of course I’m sad and I miss those who aren’t here,” freshman Jack Hanna said. “Luckily not everyone is gone and we still have plenty of old friends.”

While it means some kids will have their friends at a different school, the new zoning will ultimately do more good than harm. A smaller student population will lead to less packed classes and hallways. Furthermore, more students from around the district will be able to transfer into the already growing IB program.
“I think in the end, the zoning will only do good for the school,” Hanna said. “Yeah we still have some, big classes, but for the most part they’ll be smaller. Plus, more kids can be in IB now, and I think that in the end, everything will work out fine.”