Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board hears debate on proposal to close 2 schools
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD hearing on closing 2 schools
The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Board of Trustees is considering a controversial proposal to close Bransford and Dove Elementary Schools to cut costs, facing heavy opposition from parents ahead of a final vote on December 10.
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Parents and teachers packed the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District boardroom Monday night, urging trustees to reject a recommendation to close two elementary schools.
Why the district is proposing closures?
What we know:
The Board of Trustees did not take any action at the meeting. Members listened to a presentation from the district’s Education Master Planning Committee and heard from about 70 speakers, most of whom opposed the closures.
The proposal recommends closing Bransford Elementary and Dove Elementary, citing district-wide efforts to consolidate campuses and address financial challenges.
Parents and community speak out
According to letters sent to families last week by Superintendent Brad Schnautz, the closures are part of a broader plan that also includes new feeder patterns and potential ways to increase revenue, such as selling district properties, including Dove Elementary.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD recommends closing 2 campuses; parents say fight isn't over
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD confirms a recommendation will be made to the board of trustees to close two elementary schools: Bransford Elementary in the southern part of the district, and Dove Elementary in the northern part.
Local perspective:
A few speakers supported the trustees, calling the move a difficult but necessary decision. Most, however, asked the board to delay the process and reconsider the closures.
"I don’t believe we’re closing schools, we’re strengthening them, because buildings don’t shape the students, educators do," said Zach Penn, a GCISD parent who spoke in support of the plan.
"Closing a school like Bransford doesn’t show a thriving district; it shows a district giving up," said Maggie Taylor, a Bransford Elementary School parent. "What’s the plan when enrollment keeps declining? What middle school or high school are we going to close next? Do not sacrifice our future for a short-term fix."
"Our community deserves a real plan and real strategies for revenue, not closures that, in Brad’s own words, will not fix the problem," said Renee Hart, a Dove Elementary parent.
When trustees will vote
What's next:
The presentation Monday marked the first time trustees formally heard the committee’s recommendation. The group said it used a rubric to evaluate each campus and considered enrollment, capacity, and the feasibility of consolidating students at other schools.
The district will hold a community meeting on December 2 to answer questions from parents and families. The Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the recommendation on December 10.
If the board approves the closures, the district estimates it would save about $2.7 million annually.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from the GCISD school board meeting.