North San Antonio Edition | January 2025

Education

BY PARKS KUGLE

North East ISD to discuss closing three campuses at town halls

North East ISD will host three community meet- ings in January to discuss ndings from the NEISD Eciency Committee, which recommended clos- ing three campuses for the 2025-26 school year. The overview The three schools slated for consolidation are Driscoll Middle School, Wilshire Elementary School and Clear Spring Elementary School. The schools were chosen through a variety of factors, including cost per student and the total number of students. The three schools have a low student body compared to the total capacity of the campus. The context The recommendations were shared by the NEISD Eciency Committee on Dec. 9 and center around major issues the district is facing. These factors include enrollment, facility upkeep, lower birth rates, rising housing costs, an aging

population and sta retention. “There is no doubt that these changes will be hard, we are looking at campuses that are requir- ing twice as much per student and [are] clearly not ecient,” said Susie Lackhorn, NEISD executive director of nance and accounting. Lackhorn said that part of the issue is that the state’s school funding formula is based on enroll- ment and hasn’t changed since 2019. Lackhorn noted that due to rising costs through ination and competition with charter schools, private schools and home schooling, the funding model is no longer adequate. Lackhorn said that enrollment across the district has declined by 11,000 students, or 17%. “On a national scale we are also seeing a decline. From 2022-2031, the National Center of Education Statistics projects a 5.5% decrease nationwide for public secondary and elementary enrollment,” Lackhorn said.

Driscoll Middle School is one of the campuses considered for closure.

Campus consolidation community meetings will be held: Jan. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. Driscoll Middle School 17150 Jones Maltsberger Road Jan. 22, 6-7:30 p.m. Wilshire Elementary School

6523 Cascade Place Jan. 23, 6-7:30 p.m. Clear Spring Elementary School 4311 Clear Spring Drive

SOURCE: NORTHEAST ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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