Hillside, Kimberlin Relocation and Consolidation
Learn more about the 2024-25 temporary relocation plan for Hillside Academy as well as future plans for a combined Hillside and Kimberlin Academy campus.
The district is implementing a campus consolidation plan for the 2024-25 school year. Starting in the fall, students of Hillside Academy on Dairy Road will move to the current Centerville Elementary campus located at 600 Keen Drive. This is a temporary relocation while a new facility is being built.
Timeline for relocation and consolidation
School year | Hillside students | Kimberlin students |
---|---|---|
2024-25 | Relocate to Centerville facility at 600 Keen Drive | Remain at the current Kimberlin location at 1520 Cumberland Drive |
2025-26 | Remain at the 600 Keen Drive location | Remain at the Kimberlin location on Cumberland Drive |
2026-27 | With the anticipated opening of the replacement building, Hillside and Kimberlin students will move into the new campus on the old Hillside property at 2014 Dairy Road |
School name transition plans
When the Hillside students relocate to the Centerville campus, plans are to call the school Hillside Academy for Excellence. Portables will be installed, if needed, to accommodate all Hillside students while they are at this temporary location*.
A new replacement elementary building will be constructed at the current Hillside location on Dairy Road. This new construction was approved by voters during the 2023 bond election. When the building is complete all Hillside and Kimberlin students will move to the new state-of-the-art facility. We anticipate the school will open for the 2026-27 school year. Kimberlin students will remain at their current location on Cumberland Drive until the new building is ready.
It's proposed that the new building will open as Kimberlin Academy for Excellence, keeping the name that honors the legacy of Garland resident Harriet Kimberlin. It's intended that the Hillside name, based on the old campus neighborhood, will be retired.
*Current Centerville students will begin attending Handley STEM. See the Centerville and Handley STEM Consolidation page for details.
Culture and traditions
An essential part of this change is honoring the past while celebrating new opportunities and forming new combined campus cultures. Each campus has a unique and special history with achievements to be respected. District staff will collect Hillside Academy artifacts such as trophies and plaques and move them to Centerville. Once the new building is complete, all artifacts from both campuses will be relocated to the new Kimberlin campus.
Plans for the old building
The old Kimberlin facility on Cumberland Drive and the Centerville facility on Keen Road will be left empty. Plans for the future of these buildings have not yet been determined.
See the map below for the location of Hillside in comparison to Centerville. The distance between the two schools is 1.3 miles.
Hillside/Kimberlin Consolidation FAQs
Expand AllWill there be other campuses combined with Hillside at the temporary location?
No. Only Hillside students will be at the Centerville location. Students from Centerville will be moving to Handley STEM.
Does Centerville Elementary have enough capacity to hold all of Hillside’s current enrollment?
The relocation of Hillside to Centerville is temporary until the new campus is built. Centerville has been occupied significantly below capacity and has unused space that will now be utilized. If additional portables are needed, they will be in place before the start of the 2024-25 school year.
During what school year will my child start at the new Kimberlin location? What will happen to the current Kimberlin campus when the kids move?
We anticipate the new Kimberlin building will open for the 2026-27 school year. At that time, the Kimberlin facility on Cumberland Drive will be left empty. Plans for the future of this building have not yet been determined.
How will magnet programs be impacted as two campuses move into one?
The new campus, slated to open in 2026, will be built with a capacity to accommodate all Hillside and Kimberlin students. No Academy magnet student will lose their magnet seat in this transition.
General Consolidation FAQs
Expand AllWhen is the first day of school when consolidation goes into effect?
Consolidation goes into effect Aug. 12, 2024, the first day of school for the 2024-25 school year.
Once the current 2023-24 school year ends, staff will begin moving furniture and other materials as needed to prepare for next year at the new location.
Will my children be able to stay together at the new school?
We will work keeping siblings together at the same campus. Please check your Skyward Family Access account to ensure all of your students for whom you are Family 1/Parent 1 have the same Family ID. This will help us to keep them together as we complete the Choice of School process this spring.
Will bus transportation for the people who have been walking their kids to school be available?
Bus transportation is not guaranteed. The factors that determine bus transportation are designated eligibility area(s) for each school, proximity to a neighborhood school, and/or magnet program acceptance. The transportation maps for the 2024-25 school year will be available soon. We recommend that parents carefully review the transportation map data once it becomes available.
Does my family get to participate in Choice of School?
Yes, all GISD families can participate in the annual Choice of School process. There will be fewer options as we consolidate campuses, but everyone will be able to choose the best fit for their children from the available options.
Do I have to participate in Choice of School? Will my student automatically be placed at the consolidation campus if I do not participate in the Choice process?
If you don’t participate in the Choice process, your student will automatically be placed at the consolidation location.
You only need to participate in Choice of School if you want to change to a different school rather than the consolidation/relocated campus.
When the schools consolidate, what will happen to the teachers and other staff at the schools?
For schools that are consolidating, two schools with lower enrollment numbers are being combined into one. While no staff will lose their job because of consolidation, some staffing reassignments will be necessary. As always, the number of staff for each location will be determined by student enrollment and needs.
Principal and other staff assignments will be determined later this spring. For individual staff position assignments, multiple criteria such as GISD staff ratios and teacher tenure will be taken into account. A preference form will be sent to staff for input, and placements will be made according to a holistic rubric.
Note: Because Hillside students and staff are temporarily relocating to what will be an empty Centerville building, no staff changes will be required because of this move. Hillside will simply have a new location for the next couple of years. When Hillside joins Kimberlin in the new building, estimated to open in 2026-27, staffing assignments will be based on the student enrollment and needs at that time.
Will school hours be the same at my consolidation campus?
Yes. All elementary schools have the same school hours of 8:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Check your school’s website in August for campus-specific information about when doors open, when tardy bells ring and to confirm other schedule information.
Will free breakfast and lunch still be an option at my consolidation campus?
Schools that are identified as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools automatically provide free breakfast and lunch for students. Other than Hillside, all schools impacted by consolidation are currently CEP schools.
For non-CEP schools, parents have the option to apply for Free and Reduced-Price meals each year.
See the Free and Reduced-Price Meals page for more information, including a list of CEP schools.
What will enrollment numbers look like at consolidated campuses?
Campus enrollment will grow to meet the capacity of the campus. At this time there may be empty classrooms on your child’s campus. During consolidation, we will utilize all classrooms to accommodate students. Your child may notice more students in the hallways or the cafeteria, but the class sizes should not exceed 24 students in grades PreK-4 or 30 in grade 5 for all core instruction. While there may be a change in location during the consolidation, the quality of education your child receives will not be impacted.
Will consolidation impact my property taxes?
No, consolidation won’t directly impact property taxes. Property taxes are determined through a combination of your home’s property value, any applicable homestead exemption and the school district’s tax rate.
What security measures will be in place at the consolidation schools?
The consolidation schools will have the same security measures as other district schools, including planned bond-related security enhancements such as fencing and forced-entry-resistant film at main entrances.
Will Google Maps be updated with the correct names and addresses for the consolidated schools?
Yes, district staff will submit the updated information to Google once this school year is over. Note that Google has a process for this and we can’t control exactly when the updates will appear on their maps.
Submit a consolidation question
Need more information? Submit your questions using this form: