From the cover
Districts face decisions as school year begins
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
Leander ISD
Student resident projection, 2034 35 Several southern LISD attendance zones are projected to contain fewer than 500 resident students within the next decade.*
Under-enrolled elementary schools, 2025 31 Several LISD campuses are projected to be below 60% operating capacity through 2031.
Ahead of a $20.2 million budget shortfall for scal year 2025-26, Leander ISD administration has proposed cost-saving pathways that could include closing down and repurposing Cypress, Faubion and Steiner Ranch elementary schools next year. The three schools are among several LISD campuses that the district demographer reports will be under 60% utilization—or a campus’ capacity compared to its enrollment—over the next ve years. Despite a public school funding bill that sent $8.5 billion to Texas school districts, the bill requires the money be spent largely on teacher salary raises, school safety mandates and special education allotments—not the shortfall, Chief Financial O cer Pete Pape said. LISD used to be a fast-growth district, Pape said. However, the latest 2024 demographic report projects some southern LISD schools will experience continued enrollment declines as the “demographic cycle adjusts,” Chief Operations O cer Jeremy Trimble said. “[Southern] schools were packed full of kids at one time,” Trimble said. “We didn’t overbuild; it’s just now, the conditions have changed.”
2025-26**
2026-27 † 2029-30 †
2027-28 † 2030-31 †
2028-29 † Projected enrollment
1 Faubion ES
2 Naumann ES
356
459
427 418 415 420 412
416
399 391
376 369
1
3 Cypress ES
4 Steiner Ranch ES 382 405 391 372 6 River Ridge ES 328 288 269 261 253 272 355 350
492
<500
2
439
3
411
381
500-750
357 347
751-1,000
5 Laura W. Bush ES
4
494
1,001-1,250
421 408
5
397 389 385
1,251-1,500
6
>1,500
**BASED ON 2025 26 POPULATION AND SURVEY ANALYSTS GRADE LEVEL ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS †BASED ON PASA RESIDENT REDUCED ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS
*BASED ON OCTOBER 2024 DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT
SOURCES: LEANDER ISD, POPULATION AND SURVEY ANALYSTS COMMUNITY IMPACT
Leander ISD potential optimization actions
Sorting out details
What to expect
Potential optimization actions Cost savings
Administration used a framework created by LISD’s Long-Range Planning Committee to develop the three optimization actions presented during the May 29 board meeting. Path 1 would close Faubion, Cypress and Steiner Ranch elementary schools and repurpose the campuses. According to district documents, Faubion was identi ed for alternative high school program New Hope High School; Cypress for the district police department, administrative services and professional development; and Steiner Ranch for a tuition-based pre-K. Path 2 would update sta ng guidelines, or the number of sta needed to serve a campus, across the district. This could consolidate certain positions into one role or make roles part-time, including employees such as assistant principals, counselors, librarians and English as a second language or special education coordinators. Path 3 proposes implementing parts of paths 1 and 2. “I think there’s some things everybody can universally say are [low-hanging] fruit that have not been looked at,” Cypress Elementary parent
District administration hosted community conversation events in late August with the elementary communities that could be impacted. The possibility of holding a bond election next year was also bought up by o cials, drawing parent concern. The board will discuss options at its Sept. 18 meeting, after press time, and could vote on the actions Oct. 9.
Path 1: consolidate Faubion to Westside, Cypress to Naumann, and Steiner Ranch between Laura W. Bush and River Ridge Path 2: update sta ng guidelines to reduce various campus roles to one or to part-time Path 3: consolidate Faubion to Westside and Steiner Ranch to Laura W. Bush and River Ridge, and update sta ng guidelines at Naumann and Cypress
$4.1 million
$1.7 million
Next steps
$3.5 million
2025
Sept. 18: board reviews feedback from community conversations Oct. 9: board votes on optimization actions
SOURCE: LEANDER ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Nicole Krauss said. Groups such as Save Cypress Elementary, Fight for Faubion and Speak Up for Steiner Ranch have formed in light of the potential closures. “We realize the district is going to have to make hard decisions. ... What we want is transparency, accountability [and] data-driven decisions,” Cypress Elementary parent Megan Dudo said.
2026
Feb. 13 : last day to call for a bond election
May 2: election day if a bond was called
NOTE: THESE DATES ARE BASED ON INFORMATION AS OF PRESS TIME. SOURCE: LEANDER ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
29
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