FISD school board President Dynette Davis clarified immediate plans for the school at a May 12 board meeting.
“I want to sincerely apologize for the rough journey that this has been for everyone to navigate,” Davis said. “Our community was left with additional questions ... and a lot of confusion.”
During the 2025-26 school year, Staley will retain all grade levels, Davis said. The district will not open another transfer period for the campus.
How we got here
A motion to close the middle school at the end of the 2024-25 school year was denied by board members in a 4-3 vote during an April 14 meeting.
Board members also directed district staff to get additional information from a demographer regarding the closure during the April meeting. Board members rescinded that motion at its May 12 meeting. Per board regulations, the school board was unable to make that motion during the April 14 meeting as it was not part of the initial agenda item, according to the May 12 agenda.
Involving a demographer, which would cost approximately $55,000, is already within the superintendent’s contracting authority and would not need additional board approval, the agenda stated. The school board does not need to authorize expenses, which are under $100,000, Davis said.
District leaders will have a more in-depth discussion with additional demographic information about the future of Staley this fall, Davis said.
Looking back
Staley Middle School was built in 1973 and originally housed Frisco High School before being converted into a middle school in 1996.
The middle school needs extensive plumbing repairs as it has a 52-year-old underground cast-iron plumbing system, which usually has a lifespan of 50 years, district leaders said. Replacing the system would cost $7 million-$10 million and take 18-30 months to complete. This would remove students from the school for two to three years, district officials said.
Rebuilding Staley was part of the district's failed $1.08 billion bond package, which voters denied in November.
FISD’s enrollment is expected to decline by nearly 1,000 students over the next few years. The district is projected to have the equivalent of one full middle school—approximately 980 less students—in three years, according to the March 10 presentation.
