Highland Park Independent School District (ISD) is seeing a notable increase in interest from transfer students following the recent announcement of school closures by Amarillo ISD. The closure of Park Hills, Pleasant Valley, and Sunrise Elementary has prompted families to explore alternative educational opportunities, with many turning their attention to Highland Park ISD.
Superintendent Jimmy Hannon confirmed the uptick in inquiries, stating that families have been reaching out to campus secretaries and administrative staff to learn about the transfer process.
“We’ve had some families reach out and talk to our campus secretaries and our administrative assistant asking about what it would take to transfer kids out here to Highland Park ISD,” said Hannon.
A Rigorous Transfer Process
Highland Park ISD requires potential transfer students to complete a packet, which triggers a review process. The district evaluates students' grades, attendance records, and behavior to ensure alignment with its high standards.
“We’re going to look at grades, attendance, behavior, things like that to make sure we’re getting quality kids,” Hannon explained. “We have pretty high standards here at Highland Park, and we want to continue that trend as we move into the future. But, if parents are interested, then we would definitely welcome everyone to contact us and we would sure like to talk to them and see if we could increase our enrollment and hopefully better serve their kids.”
A History of Successful Transfers
Currently, about 30% of Highland Park ISD’s total enrollment consists of transfer students from Amarillo and the surrounding areas. Hannon praised the contributions of transfer students to the district’s academic and extracurricular success.
“We’ve had some really great kids come through here and be able to contribute to our academic success and our success in a variety of different areas like athletics, so that’s been good,” he said.
Post-Pandemic Enrollment Recovery
The district experienced a decline in enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic but sees this renewed interest as an opportunity to rebound. Hannon expressed optimism about the potential for growth, emphasizing the district’s readiness to accommodate new students.
“If we had an influx in students and were to recover from some of the loss of enrollment that we experienced from the pandemic, we would look at hiring additional teaching staff and those types of things if we needed to,” Hannon said. “But right now, we have adequate space in the facilities. We’re looking to expand and hopefully continue to grow and provide more opportunities for kids and families in the future for Highland Park.”
Opportunities for Growth
Hannon believes the increased interest could help Highland Park ISD strengthen its offerings while providing a new educational home for displaced students. Families interested in transferring their children are encouraged to contact the district for more information and begin the application process.
The closure of the Amarillo ISD campuses has undoubtedly created challenges for families, but Highland Park ISD is stepping up to offer a potential solution. With its strong academic and extracurricular programs, the district aims to turn this moment into an opportunity for both its students and its broader community.
