Whittier

A decision on realigning attendance boundaries for nine of the 12 elementary and middle schools in the East Whittier City School District has been postponed by the board of education.

Trustees were expected to take action on the realignment plan last week. But the five-member board delayed its decision after several parent groups raised questions about the impact the boundary changes would have on special programs for gifted students. Others expressed concern about the longer distances some students might have to travel to their new schools.

In recent years, a combination of declining enrollment in some schools and unexpected growth in others has left some campuses crowded and others half-empty. A special task-force recommended last month that attendance boundaries be redrawn to correct the problem. But district Supt. Gary Mills said the board is now also considering busing some students or adding temporary classrooms to some campuses.

Mills said the board agreed Monday night to take some action on the overall problem by July 1. But the district’s top administrator said the decision probably won’t be implemented until September, 1986, giving officials and parents a full year to assess its potential impact.