The district’s board of trustees voted unanimously at a Nov. 5 special meeting to approve the closure of the three schools, which are set to be repurposed for alternative district uses.
The action taken
The three campuses chosen to close are:
- C. T. Eddins Elementary, located at 311 Peregrine Drive, McKinney
- Arthur H. McNeil Elementary, located at 3650 S. Hardin Blvd., McKinney
- Earl & Lottie Wolford Elementary, located at 6951 Berkshire Road, McKinney
The committee that provided the recommendation was composed of 39 MISD parents, including three representatives from each high school, two representatives from each middle school and a representative from each elementary. The committee also included district staff and administrators as non-voting members. Five decision making criteria were used to assess campuses being considered for closure, according to a presentation at the meeting, including:
- Building design capacity
- Historic and projected enrollment
- Financial efficiency and stewardship
- Building age and facility condition
- Geographical location and redundancy
How we got here
Will Cobb, an MISD parent and member of the committee, presented the recommendation at the meeting. During the selection process, each committee member had the opportunity to individually rank each campus for their preferences for closure, and that was later used to inform the committee’s final recommendation, Cobb said.
“We absolutely understand the emotional weight of these decisions,” Cobb said. “Schools are more than buildings, they are places of connection, growth and community. But we also recognize the importance of making informed, responsible choices that protect opportunities for all of MISD’s amazing students.”
The closures are expected to save the district $3 million annually, according to the presentation, which MISD Superintendent Shawn Pratt said is savings needed in addition to cuts made to staff and the implementation of additional revenue generating programs such as Choose McKinney.
“To continue providing our students with an excellent educational experience and maintaining high quality programs that this district expects, we have to be more efficient with the use of our facilities and our resources,” Pratt said. “I hoped this day would never come. Unfortunately, it is here.”
The need for campus closures and attendance zone realignment was spurred by projected enrollment growth in the district’s northwest sector, while the southwest sector is seeing a slight enrollment decline, district documents state.
The southwest sector is where the district’s open capacity is for elementary students, while some campuses in the north and northeast sectors are projected to see enrollment that surpasses functional capacity limits in the coming years.
Across the 13 elementary campuses in the southwest sector, there is a functional capacity of 7,583 students and the actual functional utilization is about 75%. Campus utilization is projected to shrink by more than 5% over the next 10 years, the presentation stated.
The district’s prior Long Range Facilities Planning Committee also identified potential facilities repurposing as a future need, district documents state.
The setup
The special meeting comes less than two months after the committee was formed to consider which campuses could see closures.
The Educational Facilities Alignment Committee was originally slated to meet six times in a closed meeting format between September and December, but a seventh meeting was added Nov. 4 where members made a final decision on what campuses will be recommended for repurposing, district documents state. The special board meeting took place one day later.
The committee has met four times since being created. A community input meeting was held Oct. 21, which garnered about 285 attendees, district documents state.
Diving in deeper
Community members representing various elementary campuses attended the meeting, with many expressing concern for impending campus closures as well as the committee process that determined the campus closure recommendations.
Nikki Steitle, Wolford parent and community member, expressed concern for the recommendations presented, and how they aligned with the district’s outlined metrics for decision making in this process.
“Families were told this process would be data-driven, criteria based and focused on long term stewardship and student impact. Yet, at this moment, Wolford was selected when other schools more strongly aligned with districts' own consolidation criteria,” Steitle said.
Steitle also noted the accolades of Wolford Elementary, including a 2024-25 A accountability rating from and five distinctions from the Texas Education Agency. Eddins also received an A rating, while McNeil received a C rating for the 2024-25 school year.
Dennis Womack, assistant superintendent of Business Operations, said the process has been transparent, with data and information posted publicly on the district's website.
“This is very emotional and difficult, and it's data driven, but it's hard to see the data because of the emotion that we're feeling,” Womack said.
McKinney resident Anthony England noted that since the district’s Long Range Planning Committee made the recommendation to access facilities, the district’ financial situation has changed with more state funding as well as revenue collected from the Choose McKinney program as well as the district’s preschool program.
England said homes near Eddins Elementary have seen sale price decreases in recent months, which could allow for families with young children to buy homes and increase school enrollment.
“My oldest daughter is graduating fifth grade this year from Eddins,” England said. “[I’m] super proud of her, but I have two other girls still there. I just want them to have the same opportunity that my oldest did, so please delay this vote a year. Give us more time. I think we deserve it.”
What they’re saying
- “You can move people, but you cannot move a culture. You can assign teachers elsewhere, but you cannot recreate the trust, collaboration and morale here,” community member Sarah Schurman said of closing Wolford Elementary during public comment.
- “I assure you that every one of our students ... is going to be taken care of. I promise you that as a result of this process,” MISD board member Kenneth Ussery said
Resources will be offered to both students and families, as well as staff and faculty, affected by the school closures, according to the presentation.
Planned family and student support include:
- Notification of new zoned campuses following the board's December meeting
- Coordination of special education services to ensure continued services
- Regular communication via newsletters and the district website
- Counseling support, parent sessions and other resources
An overview of transition plans will be shared with staff beginning Nov. 6, and staff will have the opportunity to fill out preference forms for their next role in the district, the presentation stated.
Three more committee meetings are scheduled for November and December where recommendations will be formed on new attendance zones for all school levels, including new attendance zones for students impacted by the school closures.
A second community feedback session is slated for 6-8 p.m. Dec. 2 at the McKinney ISD Community Event Center.
For more information on the Educational Facilities Alignment Committee, visit www.mckinneyisd.net/page/efac.
