The details
Superintendent Mike Miles, who was appointed to lead the district by the Texas Education Agency in June 2023, said the closures are being considered due to the district’s declining student population.
While Miles did not provide any information regarding specific schools that could be considered for closure during the workshop, he noted any proposals for closures would be brought before the board for consideration later this year.
A closer look
The announcement of potential campus closures is coming as officials enter the early stages of crafting the district’s budget for the 2025-26 school year.
In June, board managers voted 5-4 to approve a roughly $2.1 billion budget for the 2024-25 school year that contained a nearly $528 million budget shortfall.
Miles noted the decision to consider school closures is, in part, a result of enrollment declines that have seen the district’s population drop by more than 30,000 students in the last decade.
“That’s an untenable financial situation,” Miles said, noting he believed the district was effectively subsidizing schools with fewer than 300 students. “At some point, it is a financial equation.”
Miles said the budgetary impact of closing a small school within the district could save between $1.5 million to $2 million annually, noting the savings would be even higher when factoring in money saved that would have been spent on maintenance and repairs.
What’s next?
Miles said any decisions regarding potential school closures would be made later this year. If district officials eventually opt to close campuses, he said the closures would not go into effect until the 2026-27 school year.
