Updated October 29, 2026. I’ll update this post when the final boundaries are announced on December 10.
Olentangy Local Schools has released three proposed redistricting scenarios tied to two new buildings: Deer Haven Elementary, opening in 2027–28, and Olentangy Hyatts High School, opening in 2028–29. Roughly 2,800 to 3,200 students could change schools, depending on the scenario, and established Powell and Lewis Center neighborhoods are among those potentially affected. Nothing is final yet. The district is taking feedback now, and Superintendent Todd Meyer is scheduled to announce the final boundaries on December 10, 2026. The final map could differ from all three proposals.
Check Your Address: Official Redistricting Map
Use the district’s official interactive boundary locator to compare your address under each proposal. Check elementary, middle and high school assignments. A neighborhood’s name alone may not tell the whole story, and none of these proposed boundaries is final.
Important Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday, Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. | Community forum at Olentangy High School |
| Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m. | Community forum at Olentangy Orange High School (same information) |
| Thursday, Nov. 5 | Online feedback survey closes |
| Thursday, Dec. 10 | Superintendent announces final boundaries |
| 2027–28 school year | Deer Haven Elementary opens |
| 2028–29 school year | Olentangy Hyatts High School opens with grades 9 through 11 |
What to Do This Week
- Compare all three scenarios. Use the official address locator above to review the possible elementary, middle and high school assignments. The final boundaries may differ.
- Attend a forum if you can. Both present the same information, so one is enough.
- Submit feedback by Thursday, November 5, through the district’s online survey.
Why Olentangy Is Redistricting Again
Olentangy keeps growing, and the district expects about 2,000 more students by 2028. Growth doesn’t arrive evenly, so some buildings fill up while others have room. Every new school also needs an attendance area carved out of existing ones. This round has to draw boundaries for Deer Haven Elementary, the district’s 18th elementary school, being built in Liberty Township, and for Olentangy Hyatts, its fifth high school, near Bunty Station and Sawmill roads. It also has to relieve crowding in existing buildings.
Hyatts will open with grades 9 through 11. Students who will be seniors in 2028–29 stay at their current high school, and the school reaches all four grades in 2029–30. The district’s 25-member Attendance Boundary Committee says it spent 619 hours and looked at 37 options before narrowing to these three.
How Scenarios A, B and C Differ
The district says the scenarios aren’t ranked and none is favored. Each is a concept for public feedback, and the final map may combine elements or differ from all three. Here is what each proposal prioritizes:
| Scenario | Main focus | Students potentially affected (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Balances middle school enrollment in the near term | 3,200 |
| B | Aims for better long-term high school balance | 3,100 |
| C | Moves the fewest students and keeps more feeder patterns intact, but may require more high school changes later | 2,800 |
That’s the tradeoff to think about when you give feedback. Scenario C causes the least disruption now and may cause more later. Scenario B moves more students now in exchange for a more stable high school picture. District-wide percentages also hide the real impact: a neighborhood can be untouched under one scenario and split under another, which is why checking your own address matters more than any summary.
Powell and Lewis Center Neighborhoods on the Lists
The presentation names dozens of neighborhoods. A few that stand out locally:
- Golf Village. The Estates, Fairways, Lakes Edge, Links and Palisades appear on elementary move lists under Scenarios A and C. The Heathers appears on high school move lists under all three scenarios, and the Golf Village Reserve appears on Scenario A’s middle school list. More on Golf Village’s sections.
- Ashmoore appears on high school move lists under Scenarios B and C.
- Evans Farm, Cheshire Crossing, Clarkshaw Crossing and Clarkshaw Moors appear in several proposed changes, with differences by scenario and school level.
- Hidden Ravines, Heather Ridge, Liberty Grand and Glenross are also named, along with several Lewis Center communities.
Being on a list doesn’t mean every home in a neighborhood moves, and it doesn’t tell you which school a specific address would attend. Some neighborhoods have several sections that are treated differently. The district’s scenario address locator is the best way to check the proposals for a specific home, but final assignments will not be known until the decision is announced.
Olentangy’s Recent Redistricting History
If this feels familiar, it should. In 2021, the district redrew elementary and middle school lines for Shale Meadows Elementary (see the 2021–22 decision). In December 2022, it redistricted for Olentangy Berlin Middle School, a change the district expected to affect all five existing middle schools. In December 2023, it drew boundaries for Peachblow Crossing Elementary, and in May 2024, after the March levy failed, it made a smaller Scioto Ridge-to-Tyler Run change as a first step in balancing enrollment.
The earlier 2021–22 process also illustrates why it is important not to treat today’s three proposals as a final choice. Under the district’s process, the superintendent makes the attendance boundary decision after reviewing committee recommendations and community feedback. Former Superintendent Mark Raiff held that authority during the earlier process, just as Superintendent Todd Meyer does today. The final map can differ from the initial options.
That history explains much of the frustration families are voicing now. Some students could change schools more than once, and parents worry about kids losing friend groups during transitions. The questions from past rounds are the same ones coming up today: why one neighborhood moves instead of another, why students aren’t sent to the closest building, how feeder patterns line up and whether neighborhoods stay together.
It also points to what comes next. The district has said these boundaries won’t solve every capacity problem. It still needs a seventh middle school and at least two more elementary schools, and those require voter approval. Voters rejected a 2024 ballot issue. More boundary changes in the next several years are likely.
How the District Decides
The Board of Education’s redistricting guidelines direct the district to weigh efficient use of buildings, transportation safety and travel time, current population patterns, alignment between elementary, middle and high school attendance areas and stability where possible. Those goals pull against each other. Keeping one neighborhood in place can mean moving another, and sending every student to the nearest building rarely produces balanced enrollment. The district has said full feeder alignment isn’t possible under any of the three proposals.
That’s also the most useful way to frame your feedback. Comments tied to the guidelines, such as a specific travel-time problem, a neighborhood being split or a feeder pattern that sends students in two directions, give the committee something concrete to weigh.
Will Students Be Grandfathered?
Only one exception is settled: students who will be seniors in 2028–29 stay at their current high school. Everything else, including possible grandfathering for rising fifth and eighth graders, other transfers and the timing of middle school changes, will be decided after the final map is chosen. Don’t assume an exception from a past round will apply this time.
What It Means if You’re Buying or Selling
The Olentangy district itself isn’t changing. These proposals affect which Olentangy buildings a home is assigned to. But with a decision pending and more growth ahead, a school assignment today isn’t a guarantee for the life of a mortgage.
If you’re buying, verify current assignments with the district and check all three scenarios for any home you’re serious about. Don’t rely on a listing, a subdivision name or a third-party website, and remember that a Powell mailing address or being close to a school doesn’t determine where a child attends. If you’re selling, any listing that mentions schools right now should note that assignments are subject to change and direct buyers to the district to confirm. That protects you and the buyer. If you own a home, I wouldn’t assume a proposed boundary will raise or lower its value. Too many property-specific and market factors are involved to draw that conclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Olentangy approved new school boundaries?
No. As of October 29, 2026, the district has presented three proposed scenarios. Superintendent Todd Meyer is scheduled to announce the final decision December 10, and the final map could differ from all three.
How do I find out if my home is affected?
Use the official interactive boundary locator and check your address under Scenarios A, B and C at every school level. The assignments remain proposals.
When do Deer Haven Elementary and Hyatts High School open?
Deer Haven Elementary opens for the 2027–28 school year. Olentangy Hyatts High School opens for 2028–29 with grades 9 through 11.
Will seniors have to transfer to Hyatts?
No. Students entering 12th grade in 2028–29 will stay at their current high school.
Will there be more redistricting after this?
Probably. The district has said it still needs a seventh middle school and at least two more elementary schools, which require voter approval, so future boundary changes are likely as enrollment grows.
When is the feedback deadline?
Thursday, November 5, 2026.
My Take
I understand why families get attached to their schools. Friendships, teachers and routines matter, and that’s harder for kids who have already been moved once. At the same time, Olentangy is still growing, and every new building means redrawing lines. The most useful thing you can do right now is look up your own address, look beyond rumors and social media summaries, and give specific feedback before November 5. And if you’re buying or selling in the district, make sure you’re working from current school information. I’m always glad to help sort that out. Contact Shaun Simpson and the Make It Home Group.
Official Resources
- Find Your School: official interactive scenario locator
- Official 2027–2028 redistricting page and resources
- District community presentation video
- Feedback survey (closes November 5)
- Board of Education redistricting guidelines
This article summarizes district proposals as of October 29, 2026. Boundaries and implementation details remain subject to change. Olentangy Local Schools is the authoritative source for school assignments.
