The Frisco ISD Board of Trustees is considering the future of Staley Middle School, one of the district’s longest-standing campuses. Originally home to Frisco High School, the site has undergone multiple transformations since its founding in 1902.
The current Staley building, which first opened as Frisco High School before being repurposed as a middle school in 1996, now faces potential closure due to declining enrollment and aging infrastructure.
Why The School Could Close
At the board’s meeting on March 10, 2025, district officials presented options for Staley following the failure of the 2024 bond program, which would have funded needed renovations. As Local Profile previously reported, about 52.1% of voters rejected the proposition.
Given the costs associated with maintaining the Staley campus and the overall decline in student numbers, staff have recommended retiring the school at the end of either the 2024-25 or 2025-26 school year.
Frisco ISD's enrollment numbers have fallen short of projections by approximately 1,300 students this year. This follows a slight decline in enrollment last year, indicating a continuing trend. The district is expected to have 980 fewer middle school students in three years — the equivalent of an entire middle school. “We peaked around 2023,” Frisco ISD Chief Operations Officer Scott Warstler previously said during Group One’s annual Frisco Forecast on Feb. 26, 2025.
What Would Happen To Students
Students would transition to nearby middle schools, with all course requests and extracurricular activities honored. Additionally, all Staley staff in good standing would be guaranteed positions elsewhere in the district.
Frisco ISD is seeking community input before making a final decision. A public meeting will be held on March 31 at 6:30 p.m. to gather feedback and a formal vote on the school’s future is expected at the board’s April 14 meeting. Questions or concerns can also be sent to [email protected].
How Frisco ISD Is Handling Declining Enrollment
Alongside potential plans to retire older schools with declining enrollment, Frisco ISD introduced the Access Frisco program to attract more students — and funding — to the district. The biggest factor behind enrollment decline is the aging of established neighborhoods, where fewer young families with school-age children are moving in. As longtime residents stay put, fewer new students enter the district.
To help offset financial losses, Frisco ISD approved Access Frisco in November 2024, allowing students outside district boundaries to enroll in kindergarten through seventh grade. Any Texas resident can apply, and demand is high — about 650 applications have been submitted, though only 360 spots are available in the first year. Many applicants are from Denton, Aubrey and Little Elm. For every 100 students enrolled, the district expects to generate around $750,000 in state funding.
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