A committee comprising Plano ISD parents, teachers, administrators and community members recommended closing four school campuses due to declining enrollment.
During a Plano ISD Board meeting on May 21, 2024, the board announced the recommended closure of Davis Elementary, Forman Elementary, Armstrong Middle and Carpenter Middle. A vote on the plan is expected in June. If approved, the changes would take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.
Local Profile reached out to Plano ISD for comment but did not receive a response prior to publishing.
The campuses that might be closed are in the central and east clusters. The committee also recommends further study of the district's west cluster to assess the potential for additional closures. A deadline for this additional study has been set for December 2024.
Last year, the district established a planning committee to develop a 10-year strategic plan, which included the possibility of closing and consolidating schools.
According to Fox4, families and staff at the four campuses received a letter on Tuesday regarding the recommendation to the board.
“I’d love to sit here and say 'don’t close my school,'” John Tedford, principal of Armstrong said during the meeting. “But when you look at the reality of the situation, it provides better opportunity for students. And that’s what this committee was charged to do.”
According to the board, the closures would save Plano ISD an estimated $5.2 million annually. If the board approves the recommendations, students at several schools will be rezoned. Additionally, transportation routes would need to be redrawn.
Several factors are contributing to this issue, primarily the cost of living in Plano. According to the district, the average home price in Plano is $584,000. Additionally, declining birth rates in Plano have resulted in smaller kindergarten classes compared to graduating classes. Carpenter, for example, had a capacity for nearly 1,400 students, but only 500 enrolled.
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