When Phil Schoo Middle School opens in the fall of 2009, students from the Air Park, Highlands and Arnold neighborhoods no longer will be bused across town to Dawes or Park middle schools.

"For about 19 or 20 years, we've been busing those students from Arnold past Goodrich to Dawes," said Denny Van Horn, Lincoln Public Schools associate superintendent for business affairs.

"It's one of the fastest-growing areas in the community."

As of last week, Dawes Middle School principal Dave Knudsen said he expects about 580 students this year. When Schoo opens, it will really decimate the student population at Dawes, he said.

According Knudsen, 50 to 60 percent of the Dawes student population is bused to the school.

A committee made up of Lincoln Board of Education members Ed Zimmer, Richard Meginnis and Kathy Danek have proposed closing Dawes after the 2008-2009 school year, which would save the district $153,000 on busing costs, Van Horn said.

The proposal is part of a plan to redraw school boundaries and eliminate islands of students attending schools outside of their neighborhoods. 

Knudsen, who has had discussions with LPS administrators about the feasibility of keeping Dawes open, said the walk-in student population has stayed consistent, but the school's growth has come from the students who are bused in.

"I think that's what the school board is grappling with," Knudsen said. "Does the walk-in population merit keeping Dawes open?"

If new boundaries are drawn eliminating the Dawes attendance area, students not in the Schoo attendance area would be sent to nearby Mickle and Culler middle schools.

Both schools are getting additions this year. Program capacity will be 750 students for Culler and 821 students for Mickle when renovations are complete.

Schoo Middle School will be able to house up to 932 students, according to middle school capacity statistics presented at a school board work session July 30. Student residents in grades 6 through 8 in the Schoo attendance area were estimated at 603 as of June 1.

"It's a matter of building a middle school where we have student population," Van Horn said.

Reach Jodi Fuson at 473-7211 or homeroom@journalstar.com.