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The North East Independent School District has identified 16 schools that meet the district’s criteria for possible closure.
All 16 are elementary schools, ranging from Redland Oaks south of Loop 1604 to Oak Meadow north of Hardberger Park.
They were added to the list if the cost per student exceeded the district average, or if building use or student enrollment was low.
NEISD officials will now use that list to make recommendations for schools to close later this year. The goal is to reduce costs amid declining enrollment.
Last spring the district’s efficiency committee selected three criteria for identifying schools that should be considered for closure:
- enrollment below 450 students
- building use below 60%
- cost per student exceeding the district average by 5% or more.
It’s possible that some of the schools on the list will be consolidated with other schools on the list located nearby. Closing all 16 campuses would reduce the number of elementary schools in the district by more than a quarter.
During a presentation Monday night where district officials presented trustees with the list, board president David Beyer reiterated that the board doesn’t like having to close schools.
“This is not what we came here to do, but it is the job we are presented with,” Beyer said.
Speaking to families and staff that may be affected by the school closures, Beyer said to reach out to trustees as district officials begin making recommendations for which schools to close.
“Let your voice be heard. We'll listen. We're not all going to get everything we want, and we'll just lay that out right now. That's the reality of it. But the seven of us will do our best to figure out what that balance is,” Beyer said.
Trustee Tracie Shelton asked community members to come to trustees with suggestions.
“What are the solutions to support where we need to go? Because we know what our budget is, we know what enrollment is, we know people aren’t having babies, all the things,” Shelton said. “They can be partners with us in helping make the decision if they come forward early in the process before it's kind of ink on the page.”
In addition to closing schools, NEISD took steps last semester to help boost enrollment. The district opened its borders to out-of-district enrollment and is in the process of adding more magnet programs.
NEISD Superintendent Anthony Jarrett credited out-of-district enrollment for helping the district surpass its projected enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year.
“Without that decision, essentially, we could be right at the number or risking being below, which then is creating more debt,” Jarret said. “So, this is actually putting us in a better position as we move forward. But there's more tough decisions ahead of us, and it is not going to be easy decisions.”
NEISD has about 200 more students this year than the district projected, but current enrollment is still about 2,400 lower than it was the year before. About 51,300 students are currently attending NEISD schools, according to Susan Lackorn, the district’s chief financial officer.
