BOZEMAN, Mont. – Bozeman’s new high school has been a popular topic in the community for a while now, and the district is working on making some important decisions.
The High School Transition committee’s main discussion lately has been the boundary lines for when Bozeman has two high schools.
Three options have been presented so far. Option 1 divides the city in half at 19th Avenue, with the east side attending the current high school and the west side attending the new high school.
Option 2 still divides the city at 19th until Patterson, where the line then goes west.
Option 3 is a little different: the divide remains the same as options 1 and 2, but it then has a rectangle from Bozeman High to Gallatin Valley Mall and Fowler Lane, between West College and Durston. This option encourages those who prefer, and live close enough, to walk or bike to school.
There hasn’t been a final decision and the committee is still taking suggestions from the community.
“There are folks that say, ‘I like option whatever’ and then there are other folks who say, ‘Have you thought about this?’ We’re getting good feedback, good questions,” said Bozeman School District Deputy Superintendent Steve Johnson.
There is a lot of planning and decision making that goes into the building of the new high school, and this decision isn’t going to be an easy one to make.
It’s a dynamic decision for the committee, one that has many things to consider.
The committee is looking at things such as the number of students that would attend each school, socioeconomic factors, making sure to not split neighborhoods, and the efficiency of transportation.
“It’s a process that affects a lot of students, and so we have to make sure we do it right,” Johnson said.
“We’ll have two sons, a junior and a freshman in 2020 when the second high school opens. We’re not going to have concerns,” said school board member Greg Neil.
“Both high schools are going to be awesome, it’ll be a win-win regardless which high school we are zoned into, so there’s no concerns. It’s just like every other family in town. It’s more a curiosity of, ‘What high school am I going to? What high school are my friends going to go to?’ from a student standpoint,“ Neil said.
Many families are anxious to hear the decision, but the district ensures both high schools will be great schools. Once the committee does make a recommendation, the school board will make the final decision.
“We’re approaching this decision with what’s best for our community as a whole and that’s first and foremost, what’s best for our community,” Neil said.
To submit comments on the options being considered, you can email the district at highschoolfuture@bsd7.org, or you can visit their website.
