Attendance Area Plan - Q and A

The plan includes the following changes, beginning in the fall of 2027:

• The consolidation of the Browning Elementary attendance areas into Havel Elementary and Graebner Elementary. Havel and Graebner will be reconstructed to reflect the long-range vision for our schools. The northern part of the Browning attendance area will merge with a bordering Graebner community. The southern part of the Browning attendance area will merge with Havel Elementary.
• The plan follows the natural boundary of the Clinton River for the Havel Elementary attendance areas. Portions of Oakbrook and DeKeyser Elementary schools – which are separated from the current schools by the Clinton River – will be combined with neighboring Havel Elementary communities. The portions of the Oakbrook and DeKeyser Elementary School attendance areas that are southwest of the Clinton River remain unchanged.
• A portion of Havel Elementary School where students cross Schoenherr Road will be merged with the neighboring Graebner Elementary community. The students will no longer cross Schoenherr Road to attend their elementary school and, in many cases, will be able to use a neighborhood walking path that leads to Graebner.
• A small portion of Graebner Elementary in Macomb Township will be merged with the neighboring Ebeling Elementary attendance area. Ebeling is closer in proximity and the attendance area is divided from the Graebner boundary by a small sliver of Chippewa Valley Schools.

Below provides an illustration of current and revised attendance areas involving Browning, Ebeling, Graebner and Havel Elementary schools.

Both schools will be reconstructed following the district’s vision for redesigned elementary schools and to accommodate additional students anticipated through this attendance area change.

This transformation will offer schools for our students that are designed to: 

• Create additional layers of safety and security 
• Support achievement through an environment that fosters engaged learning
• Provide teachers with flexibility and technology for large and small group instruction 
• Offer a modern look that will foster community pride and enhance the desirability and quality of life for neighborhoods 

Below are several design renderings for DeKeyser Elementary, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025. You can also watch a simulated drone video of the improvements at this link. These visuals illustrate the type of transformation the Graebner and Havel communities can anticipate at their school.

The reconstruction will occur over the next two school years. Similar to DeKeyser Elementary, each school community will be relocated to Rose Kidd Elementary for one school year to allow for the reconstruction. Transportation will be available for all families during this temporary relocation.

Additional information will be shared with the Havel and Graebner communities once a schedule has been established. All work will be completed for the attendance area transition to occur in the fall of 2027.  

The evaluation of the facilities is based on safety, age and design of the facility and enrollment trends.

UCS attendance areas were largely established when schools first opened more than 50 years ago. They represented the best plan to accommodate student enrollment based on existing residential developments. 

Our community has undergone significant housing growth over the past 50 years. As a result, our elementary enrollment patterns have a number of subdivisions that are geographically disconnected from other neighborhoods that serve the same school. In addition, the district attendance areas have several sections that do not use major landmarks and roadways as boundary lines.  

Additionally, there are several elementary schools where communities become divided as students advance into secondary schools. Students from the same elementary schools attend up to three different junior high schools or are served by two high schools.  

A focus is to better serve families so elementary students attend schools within their larger neighborhood and can advance together with their peers to secondary schools.  

A greater sense of community is maintained as students attend a school with their friends and their friends’ families.  At every level – from elementary, to junior high to high school – we want students and their families to feel a sense of consistency, community and belonging.  

The district works closely with the Enrollment Distribution Advisory Committee (EDAC), which is comprised of representatives from each school. EDAC’s purpose is to review enrollment projections and facility utilization within UCS and provide the district with feedback regarding potential amendments to existing educational programs and pathways.

• All students will attend either Havel or Graebner Elementary in the Fall of 2027.
• Students will not be able to transfer prior to fall of 2027 due to infrastructure capacity and the reconstruction of receiving schools.
• In the fall of 2027, Current Schools of Choice/In District Transfer students will attend Havel Elementary based on capacity and the close proximity of the school to Browning.
• Browning will be closed to any new Schools of Choice/Transfer Requests.  Siblings of current SOC/Transfer students will be given early consideration if space becomes available at Havel Elementary. A transfer preference window will be created in January of 2027 for these families.

• During reconstruction, current Havel Elementary students will be relocated to Rose Kidd Elementary for one school year. This schedule has yet to be determined.
• Havel Elementary will be closed to any new Schools of Choice/Transfer students. Current SOC/transfer students will continue at Havel. Siblings of Havel students who reside in this area will be given an early consideration for in-district transfer, should openings be made available.
• Siblings of currently enrolled SOC/Transfer Havel students also will be given an early consideration for enrollment, should openings be made available. A transfer preference window will be created in January 2027 for these families.
• For students in attendance area who will attend Graebner Elementary in the Fall of 2027:
  • Students who will be in grades 3 to 6 in 2027-28 school year can continue at Havel through their remaining years at the school. 
  • Siblings of currently enrolled students from that area will be given early consideration for enrollment, should openings be available. A transfer preference window will be created in January of 2027 for these families.

• During reconstruction, current Graebner Elementary students will be relocated to Rose Kidd Elementary for one school year. This schedule has yet to be determined.
• Graebner Elementary will be closed to any new Schools of Choice/Transfer students. Current SOC/transfer students will continue at Graebner. Siblings of existing Graebner SOC/transfer students will be given an early consideration for enrollment for the fall of 2027 and beyond, should space become available.
• For students in the attendance area who are assigned to Ebeling Elementary in the Fall of 2027:
  • Students who will be in grades 3 to 6 in 2027 (current kindergarten through third graders) can continue at Graebner through their remaining years at the school. Transportation will not be available to families who select this option. 
  • Siblings of students who remain at Graebner from this area will be given early consideration for enrollment, should openings be available. A transfer preference window will be created in 2027 for these families.

• All students who live north of Clinton River and east of Van Dyke will be assigned to Havel Elementary beginning in the fall of 2027. All other Oakbrook or DeKeyser attendance areas (south of Clinton River) remain unchanged.
• Students will not be able to transfer to Havel Elementary prior to fall of 2027 due to building capacity and reconstruction schedules.
• Students who will be in grades 3 to 6 (current kindergarten through 3rd grade) in the 2027-28 school year can remain at DeKeyser or Oakbrook until they move to junior high school. Transportation will not be available to families who choose this option. These families will need to choose their option in January, 2027.
• Siblings students remaining at either DeKeyser or Oakbrook will be given early preference for district transfers, depending on space availability. These families will need to request sibling enrollment in January, 2027.

• Transportation – Transportation will be offered to all eligible students based on the existing guidelines. Students at the elementary level are eligible for transportation if the family resides more than 1.5 miles from their school.
• Class Sizes – Class sizes will not be impacted by the plan as teachers and support staff will generally follow the students to their new school. Overall, maximum class sizes are based established through the contractual agreement with the Utica Education Association.
• School Start/End Times – The district annually reviews start/end times to evaluate the possibility of having all elementary schools on the same school schedule. The ability to consolidate times is based largely on available bus drivers, which the district continues to aggressively seek. Any impact on school hours will be determined prior to the 2027-28 school year based on the evaluation.
• Building Enrollment – Under the plan, the total enrollment at Havel Elementary will be 708 students and Graebner Elementary will have 700 students at the start of the 2027-28 school year. The reconstruction of both schools will provide an increased capacity for projected student growth.

The district contracts the services of Plante Moran Realpoint, an industry standard recognized by the Michigan Department of Treasury for its accuracy and comprehensive evaluation of school district enrollment trends. The service projects enrollment using district demographic data, the number of births in Macomb County and the historical student retention rate of our schools. Its annual projection is typically within one percent of actual enrollment.

You can view the 2024 enrollment report at this link.

In addition to the data compiled by Plante Moran Realpoint, two other large developments were considered in this review.

1. The Van Dyke housing development being constructed between 19 Mile and Hall Road. The development will be largely marketed to parents with children with rental units being priced for families. It may result in a significant enrollment change for Harvey Elementary and Dresden Elementary schools, which are not included in the current plan and will be evaluated at a later date. The housing development is scheduled to begin in 2025 with future units being planned.
2. The Lakeside City Center will be located on the current site of Lakeside Mall: The development will feature residences, parks, a hotel, office spaces, retail outlets and dining establishments. It is a Planned Urban Development that is priced and marketed in a way that does not traditionally generate a significant influx of young families with students. The development is scheduled to take more than a decade to complete.

The district will continue to work closely with the City of Sterling Heights as both developments move forward.

The changes will be effective for the 2027-2028 school year. This timeline will allow for the reconstruction of Graebner Elementary and Havel Elementary.

The district will study future uses of the school and its property. The intent is to keep the property as an asset.