Plano ISD votes to close 4 school campuses at the end of the next school year

Despite pleas from parents to keep the doors open, Plano ISD voted unanimously to shut down four campuses during a meeting on Monday night.

At the meeting, one parent expressed, “I come to tell you how great this school is,” in an effort to sway school board members.

The campuses recommended for closure at the end of the next school year are Foreman Elementary, Armstrong Middle, Davis Elementary, and Carpenter Middle.

Parent Zach Carson voiced concerns about the housing market in Plano, stating, “Plano has allowed the housing market to price out young families now the only people that can afford to live here are older people who don’t have kids that go to school.”

This situation mirrors what has happened in Richardson ISD, where rising home prices have made it difficult for young families on a budget to afford homes.

Richardson ISD Superintendent Tabitha Branham acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, stating, “It was a very difficult recommendation to have to make, my heart hurts; it hurts for our kids, it hurts for our principles and our counselors; everyone that just pours into our schools. Big at the same time, if I am going to look at what we need to do in RISD for the long term; this is a short-term decision that I know we had to make.”

Plano ISD cited rising home costs, smaller class sizes, lower birth rates, and families moving further north where homes are cheaper as reasons for the closures.

Superintendent Theresa Williams assured parents that the district is working to make the decision as fair as possible. Parents whose children attend the closing schools will have the opportunity to transfer them to another school within the district.