Education
BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
Plano ISD to close 4 area schools due to declining enrollment
Four Plano ISD campuses will shut down follow- ing the 2024-25 school year. What happened Following a process to evaluate the district’s “building and property efficiencies” that started last September, the PISD board of trustees approved a committee recommendation to close the following four schools on June 10:
CARPENTER MIDDLE SCHOOL
RAINIER RD.
75
SPRING CREEK PKWY.
DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
P A R K B L V D .
PARKHAVEN DR.
ARMSTRONG MIDDLE SCHOOL
TIMBERLINE DR.
• Armstrong Middle School • Carpenter Middle School • Davis Elementary School • Forman Elementary School
FORMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
N
Structure assessment score* /
Facility assessment score*
Current capacity
Campus
Davis and Carpenter both feed into Plano Senior High School, while Armstrong and Forman feed into Plano East Senior High School. The committee recommended that staff perform further research on schools that feed into Plano West Senior High School due to the west cluster’s already high capacity and unpredictable growth. The findings on PISD’s west cluster are expected to be presented to the board in December. The campuses were chosen for potential closure based on capacity, facility assessment scores and operating costs, according to a presentation from district staff. PISD Deputy Superintendent Johnny Hill said no district staff would lose employment as a result of the closures. The cause PISD’s enrollment has declined every year since its peak of 55,700 students in 2012. The district’s current enrollment sits at 47,800. PISD officials have attributed declining
48%
56 / 39 41 / 23 46 / 38 47 / 33
Armstrong Middle School
36%
Carpenter Middle School
53%
Davis Elementary School
67%
Forman Elementary School
SOURCE: PLANO ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
NOTE: ASSESSMENT SCORE IS OUT OF 100
decisions impact kids.” What they’re saying The board’s June 10 meeting featured nine speakers all expressing concerns over potential school closures. Five spoke against the closure of Davis Elementary School, while four spoke against the closure of Forman Elementary School. Many showed concern over moving the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf from Davis to Harrington Elementary School.
enrollment to several factors, including home costs in the city. The district is also estimating a $24 million budget shortfall this upcoming school year. District staff estimates that the closures will save more than $5 million. “We have held tight to not cutting staff and not cutting programs,” Superintendent Theresa Williams said. “If things don’t change we’ll have to make some other tough decisions, and those
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