Next steps in attendance boundaries change process

Over the last several months, our community has had the opportunity to share their thoughts on the parameters and proposed changes surrounding elementary and middle school attendance boundary changes. This community feedback helped shape the final recommended scenario, which is scenario 2A with two key adjustments based on input. 

The school board will review the final recommended scenario at their work session tomorrow evening (May 6). Please take a look at the full report for details on the overall process, community feedback results and next steps. Then, on May 20, the school board will vote on the final recommended scenario at their scheduled meeting. If approved, the new boundaries will go into effect the 2026-27 school year. Note the only exception to this will be Crest View Elementary School – for Crest View Elementary School, the new attendance boundaries will apply to incoming kindergarteners starting in the 2025-26 school year. 

A similar community update will be shared after the May 20 board meeting. In the meantime, information on this change process can be reviewed at district279.org/boundaries, which includes an updated search tool for community members to enter their address and see how the final recommended scenario impacts their household’s school assignments for the 2026-27 school year and onward. As always, feel free to reach out to BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990 with any questions or concerns. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for being flexible with this needed change. Our Osseo Area Schools team will continue to do all that it can to make this a smooth transition for our school communities. 

Background: Elementary and middle school attendance boundaries are being changed in order to balance student enrollment across the district. These future adjustments, set to take effect in 2026, will reassign the Osseo Area Schools elementary and/or middle school that some households are zoned to attend. 

It’s common for communities to experience changing student enrollment. Our district’s Enrollment and Capacity Management Advisory Committee (ECMAC) has been monitoring these enrollment shifts in conjunction with our school building capacities for the last several years. Their most recent reports have detailed that a significant enrollment imbalance exists and that it should be addressed. 

ECMAC’s work helped to form 2023’s Building a Better Future referendum. A new elementary school and additions to Maple Grove Senior High School were requested to address space constraints from continued growth. It was additionally noted that attendance boundary changes were needed no matter the outcome of the election. Thankfully, our community supported the 2023 referendum request so additional facility space will help to address growth needs, which limits attendance boundary changes to elementary and middle schools and thus impacts fewer families.