Two-minute impact
During its Dec. 9 regular board meeting, the SISD board of trustees made the decision to close Link Elementary School and Dueitt Middle School starting in the 2026-27 school year. According to the release, SISD campuses have been operating at 60% capacity.
“Closing Link and Dueitt is truly a heartbreaking decision,” said board President Justine Durant via the news release. “With campuses operating at nearly 60% capacity and reductions in federal funding, we are facing realities that require hard choices. We will not be fiscally responsible if we do not address these challenges now, even when the decisions are difficult.”
Students currently attending the closing schools will be rezoned to other SISD schools, according to the release. Rezoning will include moving:
- Link Elementary School students to Lewis or Beneke Elementary schools
- Dueitt Middle School students to Bailey or Bammel Middle schools
- Some current Bailey and Bammel Middle school students to Wells and Twin Creeks Middle schools
SISD leaders and the district’s board of trustees have been discussing the decision since November 2024 as part of the District Optimization Plan, as previously reported by Community Impact. Planning began following the failure of the district's voter-approval tax rate election Nov. 5, 2024.
The district also held community events to gather feedback on the closures to the public, according to a Nov. 14 district email sent out to the community. SISD has had trouble recouping prepandemic enrollment numbers, as previously reported.
Managing the impact
Families interested in exploring other schooling options can learn about neighboring district Klein ISD’s schools by visiting www.chooseklein.net, KISD Executive Director of Communications Justin Elbert said via email Dec. 11.
“We are proud to provide a safe, caring, high-quality learning experience for our students, and our team is ready to support any new families who choose and are accepted into KISD,” Elbert said.
