Driven by a surge of new housing and overcrowding at Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School, about 85 students will find themselves at a new school next year.

That’s because the Bowling Green Independent School District’s board of education approved changes to boundary lines between Dishman-McGinnis and Parker-Bennett-Curry elementary schools.

Under the change, students with addresses north of Glen Lily Road will go to Parker-Bennett-Curry effective next school year. Any student who lives on that road won’t see a change in where they attend school next year.

“Our goal is not to cause anybody a lot of angst, but ultimately we just got to make these decisions to even out numbers” at both schools, said Superintendent Gary Fields, who described the change as necessary given a development boom in the area.

“It is a booming area for affordable housing for a lot of our families in our community,” he added.

According to the school district, both schools were built for up to 500 students. Dishman-McGinnis Elementary is currently hovering around that limit, while Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary has about 310 students.

The district is open to making some exemptions on a case-by-case basis, Fields said, adding that the district provides transfer forms for parents.

In other business, the board also heard an update on renovations at Bowling Green High School. Progress on the project’s phase one classroom wing has stalled by about four to six weeks due to weather.

Fields said the delay shouldn’t change plans to open the classroom wing by August 2020, and construction should also still be finished by spring of that year.

“The timeline now has moved to later in the spring, but still gives us a couple months of leeway,” before the opening, Fields said.

Phase one will add most of the school’s classroom space with a wing that extends around the school’s natatorium.

Work on further renovations will continue as funding allows, and will include additional classroom space, common areas, a 700- to 800-seat auditorium, auxiliary gym and a possible replacement for the natatorium, which will be razed to make room for a courtyard.

Funding for phase two is “priority number one” for the district’s local planning committee, which the board also approved appointments to Monday. Its charge is to assess the district’s facility needs, which Fields said also extends to new roofing and HVAC systems.

That also includes funding for a new natatorium.

As the district explores state funding options, Fields said the district is also exploring working with city government to provide an indoor pool for residents. City commissioners briefly discussed the idea at their annual retreat in January.

“I think that’s a discussion that will be ongoing moving forward,” Fields said.