There has been much concern over the student capacity in District 204 high schools. The large capacity is affecting daily schedules and because of COVID-19, the crowding is very dangerous to students and staff health. To remedy these problems, there has been discussion over the District 204 boundaries. The main goal of the boundary committee is to create a more equal student body in schools by moving students from one school to another. IPSD has created five concepts to start with. The five concepts have been narrowed down to concept one and concept three.

Concept one aims to decrease the number of middle schools being split between high schools. Granger and Hill will go to Metea. Crone, Gregory, and Scullen will all go to Neuqua. Fischer and Still will both go to Waubonsie. This new concept splits communities and schools and each can stay intact.

This concept may display disadvantages. While the middle schools are no longer being broken or being split into different high schools, some elementary schools are now being broken into different high schools. Three elementary schools would be split apart: Longwood, Owen, and Georgetown. This would cause two elementary schools, Young and McCarthy, to be over-utilized. Other problems such as where these boundaries will end and start are also a problem, as this concept does not combat  the high school boundary still crossing over Route 59.

The third concept in consideration produces more broken feeders among the middle schools. Broken feeders are schools that have been split in transitioning to other schools. This also includes middle schools like Still and Scullen into Metea and Waubonsie.  Elementary schools that are split between middle schools or middle schools between high schools are also broken feeders. This creates many boundary changes for the middle schools such as Granger, Hill, and Still. Hill’s boundaries in the south were changed so the May Watts elementary school would go to the southern states. While Hill and Granger will still be connected to Metea, Still now has moved to a broken feeder for Neuqua and Waubonsie. 

There are certain disadvantages to this concept, such as more feeders involved with the high schools and the middle schools. It also does not allow for population growth in the high schools as this is a more drastic change in the boundaries.

IPSD holds committee forums and community meetings to further discuss this topic of boundaries. Local parents also express their opinions of the concepts and help develop the plan to benefit the students.