Two elementary schools and two middle schools could be shuttered in the 2025-2026 school year.
PLANO, Texas — A committee of Plano ISD parents, teachers, administrators and community members unveiled a recommendation Tuesday night to close four school campuses because of declining enrollment.
A vote on the plan could come in June. Recommended for closure are Davis Elementary, Forman Elementary, Armstrong Middle and Carpenter Middle.
Each campus was built in the ’70s and is operating below its capacity, according to committee members. The closures would save Plano ISD an estimated $5.2 million annually.
Three committee members presented the plan to the board, including John Tedford. He is the principal at Armstrong Middle — one of the campuses on the closure list.
“I’d love to sit here and say ‘don’t close my school,’” Tedford told board members. “But when you look at the reality of the situation, it provides better opportunity for students. And that’s what this committee was charged to do.”
Plano ISD’s enrollment has been declining for 12 straight years, and demographers do not believe the trend will end.
A few things are to blame, but namely the cost of living in Plano.
The district says the average home price is $584,000. Plano ISD says school districts to the north have cheaper houses and growing enrollments.
In addition, birth rates in Plano are declining so kindergarten classes are now smaller than graduating classes.
The campuses that could be closed are in the central and east clusters, and the committee suggests more study be done on the district’s west cluster to determine if any additional closures could be made.