Alachua County Public Schools mailed a series of letters to families across the county in May, signaling a new chapter for the district — and thousands of students within it.
The letters notified families whether their student would be rezoned to a new school for the 2026-27 academic year.
The rezonings come as part of the district’s “Our Schools — Future Ready” plan, which seeks to rightsize and consolidate schools so they operate at capacity. Three elementary schools will close as part of the plan, including Foster Elementary School, which closed at the end of the 2025-26 academic year
Around 3,200 students were rezoned to a new school for the 2026-27 academic year. More than 28,000 students were enrolled in the district during the 2024-25 school year.
For Isabel Wood, a rising junior who spoke during a June 2 school board meeting, the changes may relocate her from Buchholz to Gainesville High School and potentially change the course of her academic journey.
“I am in the top 10% of Buchholz High School, and I’m on the AP [Advanced Placement] track,” Wood said. “I’ve already taken seven AP courses, and I plan to take five more. However, half of my courses will not be at GHS.”
Wood said Gainesville High School is more focused on its Cambridge Program, a magnet program she would be ineligible to join. Wood was set to be the president of three clubs at Buchholz, she added, an opportunity she’d lose if relocated.
For her mother, Lisa Ortega, the impact extends beyond academics.
The family currently lives within walking distance of Buchholz, a choice Ortega said was deliberate.
“I had to move in 2022, and because of my children’s academic performance and other interests, we chose Buchholz,” Ortega said. “That was my number one priority when I was choosing a home.”
Ortega’s other daughter, Olivia, will also be impacted by the change. Like her sister, Olivia is an AP student at Buchholz. Ortega said Olivia accumulated awards, became third chair in the Buchholz band and planned on playing in the Spring and Symphony Orchestra, which isn’t offered at Gainesville High School.
Given the family’s close proximity to Buchholz, Ortega said the rezoning letter came as a surprise. The change would force her daughters to rely on buses to go to a school farther away.
During the June 2 board meeting, ACPS Board Chair Thomas Vu requested information about the family’s neighborhood, which was not disclosed during public comment. It’s unclear if any changes will be made to the newly approved boundary maps.
For Brianna Jones, a 37-year-old Gainesville resident, the rezoning was disappointing for her and her son, a rising junior at Buchholz who is now zoned for Gainesville High School.
“I wish that we could have advocated more going to the school board meetings,” Jones said. “I wish our voice was louder than it was.”
Last year, Jones and her son moved to an area off of Southwest 20th Avenue zoned for Buchholz. Her son, who was entering his sophomore year, switched to Buchholz after spending his freshman year at Eastside High School. Jones said she had concerns about Eastside and did not want her daughter to attend the school.
Jones said her son expressed several concerns about going to a third high school in just three years, but she’s unsure if they’ll be able to find success through zoning exemptions. The family has struggled with getting exemptions in the past, Jones said.
Families can apply for zoning exemptions, which allow students to attend a school outside of their zone if they meet certain criteria laid out in School Board Policy.
Under the policy, students are eligible for exceptions under five umbrellas: students with parents employed by the board, students entering their final year at their current school, a change in primary residence, specific requests and hardship placements.
Hardship placements are used when a student’s attendance at their zoned school creates a documented hardship for the family. Students may apply for an exemption if they have a documented medical or psychological condition requiring attendance at another school or if they’re a victim of violent crime at their school.
ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said the district did everything it could to minimize change for students in the county.
The district worked in tandem with a local planning firm, JBPro, which has expertise in similar projects across the state, Johnson said.
The primary factors the district considered, she said, included balance across the district, the age and condition of school facilities, major roadways and the walk zones for schools.
Under Florida law, students within “reasonable walking distance” of their school, which ACPS deems two miles, are expected to find transportation alternatives to school buses.
Despite the district’s efforts to limit the impact of the maps, they still yielded changes for families.
“This is something that’s happening not just in school districts across Florida, but across the country,” Johnson said. “This is happening in many places, and school districts are having to make tough decisions.”
Public schools across Florida have faced similar stressors causing them to consolidate and rezone. Districts have struggled with declining enrollment due to emphasis on private education, declining fertility rates and immigrant families’ fear of enrolling their children in public schools.
Johnson said students entering their last year of education at their current school should consider applying for a zoning exemption. Students entering fifth, eighth or 12th grade are considered eligible for an exemption.
Parents can apply for exemptions anytime, Johnson said, but their desired school may run out of space the longer they wait. The length of their wait to hear results depends on when they apply, she added.
For families unable to get exemptions, a new reality will take place. When school starts in August, these students will navigate unfamiliar hallways, routines and classes as they adjust to the district’s new school boundary lines.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @logandmcbride.
Logan McBride is a fourth-year journalism student and this summer's general assignment reporter. He previously served as a reporter for the city/county commission, K-12 education and track & field. Logan enjoys watching sports, going to the movies and playing basketball. When he's not working, you can find him on adventures with his friends, cuddling with his cat Max, or with his girlfriend.
