District officials are recommending the school board to close Staley Middle and move students to surrounding schools, FISD Chief Operations Officer Scott Warstler said during a March 10 board meeting. No action was taken during the meeting and the discussion will be brought to the board again in April.
“It’s a very big decision that this board has to make,” Superintendent Mike Waldrip said. "The number one thing that we need to consider is ... can we provide quality programs and a quality education to the students at Staley middle school next year. Given the situation we're in, that's number one, everything else is secondary to that."
The gist
Staley Middle School was built in 1973 and originally housed Frisco High School before being converted to the middle school in 1996.
The middle school needs extensive plumbing repairs which could cost $7 million-$10 million and take 18-30 months to complete, Warstler said. This would remove students from the school for two to three years.
FISD’s enrollment is expected to decline by nearly 1,000 students over the next few years, according to updated demographic projections. The district is projected to have 980 fewer middle school students in three years, or one full middle school, according to the meeting presentation.
The outlook
If approved by the board, Staley Middle students will be transitioned to nearby middle schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year or after the 2025-26 school year.
All staff in good standing will be guaranteed a position and student course requests and extracurricular activities will be honored at their new campus.
Looking back
Frisco ISD voters denied all three propositions from the district's $1.08 billion bond package in the November election.
FISD is starting an open enrollment program to address declining enrollment and a revenue shortfall in the budget. Access Frisco will allow kindergarten through seventh grade students from surrounding areas to attend schools in the district.
Stay tuned
A community feedback meeting for Staley Middle families will be held March 31 at 6:30 p.m. Parents can also send questions or concerns to [email protected].
The school board is expected to vote on retirement recommendation April 14 after district staff present transition plans for students and staff.
