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Elementary school attendance zone updates; Community Forum recap

The information below was updated on December 5, 2025.

Community Updates | Upcoming Meetings | Current K-5 Boundary Maps 

A consultant-led K–5 Enrollment and Capacity Study is underway to evaluate and balance student enrollment across the district’s five elementary schools. The study may result in adjustments to elementary school attendance zones.

Currently, Glenmont and Eagle Elementary Schools are operating at or near capacity, while Elsmere, Hamagrael, and Slingerlands are being underutilized and have unused classroom space. Superintendent Jody Monroe outlined a plan for the study in May, highlighting enrollment trends at the district’s five elementary schools that have affected the distribution of K-5 students within the district. Over the past decade, Eagle and Glenmont have experienced steady enrollment growth, while Elsmere, Hamagrael, and Slingerlands have seen double-digit enrollment declines during the same period.

The district hired an independent consultant, Tyler Technologies, to lead the K-5 Enrollment and Capacity Study. The district also appointed a committee of stakeholders, including parent representatives, faculty, staff, and administrators, to help guide the work of the consultant. The committee members, who are volunteers,  meet regularly with Tyler Technologies. 

The goal of the study is to adjust elementary school boundaries to make class sizes more balanced, address new housing development, reduce overcrowding in specific schools,  and ensure balanced enrollment is sustainable across the district. 

Tyler Technologies is expected to present formal recommendations for adjusting the elementary boundaries to the Board of Education on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The Board is expected to vote on any proposed boundary changes in January 2026.

No formal recommendations for boundary changes have been made.

Community updates

Dec. 4 Zones of Attendance Committee Meeting

The Elementary Zones of Attendance Committee — made up of parents, teachers, staff, and administrators — met on Thursday, Dec. 4 to continue its work.

The committee supports Tyler Technologies in conducting the district’s K–5 Enrollment and Capacity Study. Its role is to provide feedback, ideas, and community perspectives that help shape potential revisions to the elementary attendance zones. 

At the meeting, committee members:

  • Continued to focus their work on reducing overcrowding in some elementary schools (Eagle, Glenmont) while increasing utilization in others (Elsmere, Hamagrael, Slingerlands)
  • Discussed feedback from the Nov. 20 Zones of Attendance Community Forum and Google Form, which included concerns regarding the effectiveness of initial rezoning options,  support for walkable neighborhoods, and minimizing student disruption
  • Looked at examples of the impact on transportation when changing elementary school boundaries
  • Examined a K-5 density map of Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) provided by Tyler Technologies
  • Provided guidance to Tyler Technologies for modeling additional rezoning options for the committee and district to consider at future meetings
  • Clarified the following questions/concerns received from the community, including:
    • Why not start with flex zones or another transitional plan, like grandfathering of all current students? A transitional plan would take years to produce change. Meanwhile, overcrowding would continue, underenrolled buildings would stay underused, and staffing and class-size challenges would persist. A partial grandfathering of rising fifth graders could be considered, depending on the number of students, and could only be considered once formal options for rezoning have been agreed upon. The committee discussed “future-focused” flex zones that could be created for new developments only (i.e. North Street, Kleinke Farm); flex zones in established neighborhoods would not address the immediate problem of overcrowding and underutilization.
    • Can a family waive transportation to be exempt from being moved? No. By law, the district must provide transportation to eligible students. Waiving transportation would create equity and liability issues.
  • Discussed the timeline:
    • Dec. 5-8: Tyler Technologies will develop additional rezoning scenarios based on feedback from the Dec. 4 committee meeting
    • Dec. 10: Committee meeting to review new rezoning scenarios
    • Dec. 17: Public presentation by Tyler Technologies of rezoning proposals to the Board of Education
    • Jan. 2026: A decision on rezoning will be made by the Board of Education

Community Forum – Nov. 20, 2025

A community forum was held on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Bethlehem Central Middle School to present up-to-date information about the Zones study and to gather feedback on initial boundary proposals developed by Tyler Technologies. Nearly 200 people attended the meeting.

A full recap of the Community Forum, including a summary of initial options presented, can be found below.

No scenario has been finalized and no formal recommendations for boundary changes have been made.

Highlights of the meeting included:

  • A recap of the committee process and timeline.  A vote by the Board of Education is necessary to adjust attendance boundaries. It is expected that there will be a Board vote on any formal recommendations in January 2026.
  • Explanation of Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), which are used for redrawing attendance boundaries. The NPUs are based on natural neighborhood subdivisions, major roads, water features and land-use/housing type differences. Tyler Technologies collaborated with members of the committee to determine NPUs being used in the study.
  • Latest enrollment projections show districtwide enrollment is rising in grades 6–12 and is relatively stable in grades K–5. Elementary enrollment is projected to stay in the 1,739–1,780 range through 2030–31.  Enrollment projections were amended to include the impact of housing development  (an additional 16 students). Though total K-5 enrollment remains steady through 2031, distribution across schools becomes more uneven, exacerbating existing school equity issues.
Presentation of initial boundary options from Tyler Technologies

Tyler Technologies presented five initial boundary options during the meeting. These options were presented for discussion and feedback. They are NOT formal recommendations:

All maps, presentations and resources from the Community Forum can be found here.

  • Option A-1: Would move 154 students. The majority of moves would be from  Glenmont and Eagle neighborhoods to Hamagrael. Some Eagle students would move to Slingerlands. There would also be a small number of moves from Hamagrael to Elsmere. View Option A-1 map
  • Option A-2: Would move 148 students. The majority of moves would be from  Glenmont and Eagle neighborhoods to Hamagrael. Some Eagle students would move to Slingerlands. There would also be a small number of moves from Hamagrael to Elsmere. View Option A-2 Map
  • Option A-3: Would move 150 students. The majority of moves would be from  Glenmont and Eagle neighborhoods to Hamagrael. Some Eagle students would move to Slingerlands. There would also be a small number of moves from Hamagrael to Elsmere. View Option A-3 Map
  • Option B: Would move 185 students. The majority of moves would be from  Glenmont and Eagle neighborhoods to Hamagrael. There would also be a small number of moves from Hamagrael to Elsmere. No students would move to Slingerlands. View Option B Map
  • Option C: Would move 128 students. The majority of moves would be from  Eagle neighborhoods to Hamagrael. Some Eagle students would move to Slingerlands. There would also be a small number of moves from Hamagrael to Elsmere. No students would move to Elsmere. View Option C Map

Goals in drawing boundaries:

  • Move whole neighborhood units—no partial subdivisions.
  • Maintain contiguous boundaries.
  • Minimize total number of students moved.
  • Build capacity for future growth.
  • Respect transportation constraints (average ride times: 30–45 mins).
  • Ensure at least two sections of each grade level at all five schools.

Following the presentation, attendees were able to review the proposals and maps, discuss the proposed changes in small groups, and provide feedback. 

Feedback included concerns regarding student well-being and the emotional impact of changing schools; the need to incorporate more parent input; requests for data regarding impact on transportation; and general concerns about the initial proposals being limited and not addressing stated goals. Attendees also questioned the neighborhood boundary logic and asked for more granular, neighborhood-level data and clearer long-term projections to be made available. 

The feedback also included support for grandfathering students, especially rising fifth graders. Tyler Technologies is expected to include a scenario for grandfathering fifth graders when it presents a second round of boundary proposals.

All maps, presentations and resources from the Community Forum can be found here.

Tyler Technologies will be using feedback from the Community Forum to refine or develop additional options for consideration. The consultant will meet with committee members twice in early December to discuss these options. The next public presentation will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at the Board of Education meeting. 

Committee Meeting – Nov. 12, 2025

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Elementary Zones of Attendance Committee met with representatives from Tyler Technologies to finalize maps that will be used to make any recommended boundary changes. The group also began discussions on options to balance elementary school enrollment across the district. The group provided feedback to Tyler Technologies on the consultant’s first draft of a proposed rezoning plan discussed with the committee. The initial draft will be refined by Tyler and presented as one of several options that will be the basis of public discussion during the week of November 17.

Presentations are scheduled for:

Board of Education Meeting – Nov. 5, 2025

During the Nov. 5  Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Jody Monroe provided an update from the latest committee meeting, held Nov. 3. 

Highlights from the Nov. 5 Board of Education update:

  • No elementary boundary changes have been proposed.
  • The stakeholder committee of 30 parents, faculty, staff, and administrators (representing all five schools) has met three times, most recently on Nov. 3.
  • Enrollment data, trends and projections were reviewed and discussed:
    • K-5 enrollment has declined 20.5% between 2005-06 and 2024-25; however, the projected trend is for modest increases in enrollment in grades K-5.
    • K-5 enrollment has shifted considerably over the last several years, with Eagle and Glenmont at or near capacity, while enrollment at Elsmere, Hamagrael and Eagle has declined. 
    • There is available space across the district to balance enrollment and alleviate overcrowding at Eagle and Glenmont. Currently, 15 elementary classrooms are available districtwide.
    • Shifts in the elementary boundaries are necessary to address changing enrollment patterns, maximize resources and physical space across the district and improve teaching and learning for all students.
  • The impact of the current enrollment imbalance was discussed:
    • Class section enrollment is more uneven across the district than in the past and small class size targets are increasingly harder to meet.
    • Students are being reassigned to schools other than their home schools in large numbers. Currently, 130 students are assigned to schools outside their home school zone (39 general education students, 13 English as a New Language (ENL) students; and 78 special education students).
    • Staff in overcrowded buildings compete for shared materials and space.
    • Crowding can create noisy, stressful environments that impede focus and learning.
    • Inequity in workload, support, and facilities can lead to dissatisfaction and lower staff morale.
  • Committee members have agreed on class size targets for elementary schools at 18-22 (K-18, Gr. 1-18, Gr. 2-19, Gr. 3-20, Gr. 4-21, Gr. 5-22). These are not maximum class sizes, but are guidelines for enrolling class sections in the future. Identifying this target provides an important guidepost for the consultant, Tyler Technologies, to design balanced enrollment options.
  • The committee refined its initial feedback on what constitutes a “neighborhood” within each school attendance zone. Tyler Technologies will consider committee feedback to determine Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) when mapping the options that will be presented to the public.
  • The committee will meet again on November 12 to review preliminary options from Tyler Technologies for balancing enrollment.
  • There will be an update to the Board of Education on the committee’s progress on November 19.
  • A community meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Media Center at Bethlehem Central Middle School. This meeting will be open to the public. A questionnaire will be sent ahead of the meeting to gather questions. Community feedback collected in November will help shape the recommendations presented to the Board of Education in December. Tyler Technologies plans to offer multiple options for balancing enrollment across the five schools

Board of Education Meeting – Oct. 22, 2025

During the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting, representatives from Tyler Technologies—the data and mapping firm leading the study—along with a committee of district stakeholders, provided an update on their progress. This was the second committee update to the Board of Education.

You can view the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting here (YouTube).

Key highlights:

  • The consultant’s work is still preliminary; no proposed boundary changes have been presented.
  • The stakeholder committee of 30 parents, faculty, staff, and administrators (representing all five schools) has met twice, most recently on Oct. 15.
  • Committee members emphasized that maintaining small class sizes should remain a top priority in balancing enrollment.
  • Tyler Technologies shared an initial “sensitivity analysis” of enrollment projections and class size targets.
  • The committee provided feedback to Tyler to help define what constitutes a “neighborhood” within each school attendance zone.
  • Tyler will use this feedback to develop mapping “planning units” that could form the basis for new boundary options.

The committee will meet again twice in November, followed by a community meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Media Center at Bethlehem Central Middle School. This meeting will be open to the public.

Community feedback collected in November will help shape the recommendations presented to the Board of Education in December. Tyler Technologies plans to offer multiple options for improving enrollment equity across the five schools.

Meeting schedule

  • Dec. 4, 2025: Elementary Zones of Attendance Committee meeting 
  • Dec. 10, 2025: Elementary Zones of Attendance Committee meeting 
  • Dec. 17, 2025 at BCHS Room D-122: Recommendations by the committee and Tyler Technologies will be presented to the Board of Education for consideration.
  • Jan 2026:  Board of Education is expected to vote on rezoning proposals

Committee PTO/PTA representatives

Eagle

  • Leo Gameng

Elsmere

  • Melissa Forrest

Glenmont

  • Sara Bailey, 
  • Farrin Wagoner, Alternate

Hamagrael

  • Alicia Segura

Slingerlands

  • Neethu Jean-Pierre

Current elementary attendance zones

The maps below have been provided by Tyler Technologies. If you are unable to access the PDF files, please contact the BCSD Communications Office at 518-439-3650.