Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
Related Articles
The future trajectory of the school district in one of North Texas’s largest cities is beginning to take shape.
Following extensive community engagement over several months, the long-range facility planning committee has put forward recommendations to address the challenges faced by Plano ISD.
In the eastern cluster, the committee proposed the closure of Forman Elementary and Armstrong Middle Schools.
For the central cluster, the recommendation is to close Davis Elementary and Carpenter Middle Schools.
Regarding the western cluster, due to the complexities of new student growth, the committee has advised further study, with a deadline set for December 2024.
These recommendations were formulated based on factors such as the age and useful life of each campus, operational efficiencies, and enrollment data.
Zach Carson, whose 6th-grade son attends Carpenter Elementary School, expressed concerns about the potential closure, emphasizing the significant impact it could have on his family.
Carson highlighted the challenges posed by the housing market, which has made Plano increasingly unaffordable for young families, leaving older residents without school-aged children as the predominant demographic.
Plano ISD attributes the decline in enrollment to various factors, including soaring home prices averaging $584,000, larger graduating classes compared to incoming kindergarten cohorts, declining birth rates, and the growth of neighboring school districts.
The Plano ISD school board is slated to vote on these recommendations in June, with any approved changes scheduled to take effect in the 2025-2026 academic year.