Some Northwest ISD families will be looking at new school name tags in fall 2026. Trustees have approved new attendance boundaries that move parts of several neighborhoods into different campuses for the 2026-27 school year. The updated maps carve out zones for two new campuses, Dr. Leigh Anne Romer Elementary and Floyd Barksdale Middle, both slated to open in August 2026. The plan includes limited grandfathering so some rising fifth-, seventh- and eighth-graders can stay put, although most students will follow the new lines. Families affected should watch for notices from the district and be ready to file transfer paperwork within Northwest ISD’s set windows.
How many students are affected and how the board decided
The board signed off on the final boundaries at a Jan. 12 meeting in a unanimous 7-0 vote, a move local coverage described as shuffling students across multiple neighborhoods. According to the Fort Worth Report, about 110 middle-school students are expected to qualify for grandfathering, which would let them remain at their current campuses instead of moving to the new middle school.
What’s changing and where
The final elementary plan creates a Romer Elementary zone aimed at relieving crowding at Carter and Prairie View elementary schools. After community feedback, the map keeps all of Sendera Ranch together and leaves Lexington Estates zoned to Prairie View. On the secondary side, Floyd Barksdale Middle School will serve parts of Northlake and the Pecan Square area and is expected to take pressure off nearby middle schools. Local reporting on the rezoning process and a series of community meetings details how those neighborhood lines shifted.
For a closer, street-by-street look at the proposals, and which pieces of existing campuses were tweaked after public input, families can turn to reporting from the Cross Timbers Gazette.
Who can stay and what families must do
Under the approved policy, students who will be in fifth, seventh or eighth grade next year may submit an “intent to remain” form if they want to stay at their current campus instead of moving to the newly assigned school. Northwest ISD lists the intent-to-remain transfer window as Feb. 1 through Feb. 20, with the broader transfer application period set for April 1 through May 15. Families who choose to stay at their current campus will not receive district transportation, and younger siblings will not be allowed to remain under the grandfathering rules. The district says affected families will be emailed instructions and can use the online School Finder tool to confirm new school assignments.
These timelines and transportation details are laid out by Northwest ISD.
Trustee comments and administrators' concerns
Some parents actually asked to be rezoned into Barksdale Middle School, a rarity in most boundary fights and something trustees pointed to as a sign the final map landed reasonably well. Trustee Mark Schluter called it “one of the most seamless boundary changes that we’ve made,” while district administrators cautioned that even small tweaks to a subdivision could set off a domino effect that ripples through multiple communities. Those comments, along with coverage of public meetings, are summarized by the Fort Worth Report.
Capacity and next steps for families
Romer Elementary is being built to hold roughly 850 students, and Barksdale Middle is planned for about 1,200 students as Northwest ISD braces for continued growth. For specific questions like whether a particular street or cul-de-sac is moving to a new campus, the district’s interactive maps and the enrollment office are the official go-to resources for parents and guardians.
Project pages from Cross Timbers Gazette and Northwest ISD include maps and construction details for the new campuses. The district has asked families with questions to email [email protected] or call the enrollment line for help sorting out their new school assignments.
