Coppell trustees narrowly voted to close its oldest elementary school Monday night, with district leaders lamenting the painful decision as necessary because of a financial squeeze triggered by declining enrollment and stagnant state funding.
The trustees’ decision devastated Pinkerton Elementary families, who said the closure means children will attend campuses farther from their homes and away from their friends next year.
Some parents pulled their kids out of classes for the day and later protested outside the administration building. They held signs demanding trustees save Pinkerton and wore shirts that read, “Keep all schools open” in both English and Spanish – a nod to the bilingual families who could be affected by the proposal.
“I just don’t want my school to close,” fourth-grader Joshua Waters said. He wished the Coppell ISD trustees knew how fun it was to learn multiplication with his teachers and go on field trips with his friends.
The contentious plan initially involved the consolidation of a dual language program, which was also opposed by many parents at Monday night’s meeting. Trustees ultimately decided to direct administrators to continue exploring options around what to do with that program.
“These decisions aren’t easy for anyone, but I want to reassure you we are committed to doing what’s best for everyone,” Superintendent Brad Hunt told families.
Even before the official decision – as trustees explained their positions – parents in the audience began to cry, passing tissues between each other. School board members teared up, too. The trustees were split, closing Pinkerton on a 4-3 vote.
It is projected to save Coppell ISD roughly $2 million.
Administrators examined enrollment projections, building usage and other factors in making the recommendation to close Pinkerton and adjust surrounding attendance zones. Pinkerton students will attend Wilson and Austin elementaries.
The dual language program at Wilson may still be consolidated with the one at Denton Creek Elementary. Its future was unclear after Monday night’s meeting.
Opponents of the plan were concerned that families from low-income communities who live close to Wilson would be displaced because of the relocation of the language program.
Some parents urged the school board to do a better job engaging the Latino community.
“You’re choosing to affect your most vulnerable? The youngest children need stability,” Wilson mom Randi Pearson said
Pearson chose her family’s home because of the campus. Whenever she and her young daughter drove past it, she’d tell her: That’s your school.
Now that her daughter started kindergarten, she loves learning as part of the dual language program. What makes it so special is the staff, Pearson said. She doesn’t know what the family would do if it was broken up.
District leaders expect elementary enrollment to decline by roughly 550 students over the next three years. That represents a loss larger than some Coppell elementary schools’ total student populations.
Officials expressed shock at the projections, saying they are a harbinger of hard financial choices still to come.
“We have to be realistic with what we have in front of us,” Hunt recently told board members. “It is hard to look at these numbers and not realize that there’s going to be more to come.”
With significantly fewer kids, officials often question whether they should close schools to maximize staffing and resources. It can be inefficient to operate campuses that are below their capacity.
District officials urged trustees not to postpone.
If trustees didn’t take action, district officials projected a range of consequences, including the possibility of no raises for teachers, forced staff reductions and increased class sizes.
“If we run the district bankrupt, we fail everybody,” trustee president David Caviness said.
Coppell isn’t the only district facing such decisions. Richardson, Irving and Plano school leaders also voted to close schools for similar reasons recently.
Several factors are straining district budgets this year.
Texas public schools are funded based on how many children show up to class. Enrollment declines translate into major losses for districts’ bottom lines.
Across the state, enrollment is projected to peak in 2025 as fewer children move through the system, according to state projections. Birth rates also are steadily declining in some areas.
The Legislature hasn’t increased the base amount it provides per-student since 2019, keeping it stuck at $6,160.
Attempts to increase the allotment in recent sessions were ensnared in a political fight over education savings accounts, a voucherlike program that would send state dollars toward private school tuition.
“We can not rely upon the state during the upcoming legislative session to provide the type of additional revenue that is needed,” chief financial officer Diana Sircar said.
Meanwhile, federal pandemic aid that funneled billions to public schools is expiring, while inflation has made everything from bus fuel to insurance more expensive.
While school funding decisions are steeped in politics, it felt intensely personal for many Coppell families.
Pinkerton is about a mile from where trustees met. The school building, named for the district’s first superintendent, boasts a historic site designation. It’s a beloved hub for the families who attend.
Parents and their children told trustees over and over Monday about how much their schools mean to them. The students treasure their short walks to school, seeing their friends and learning in small classes.
School, they said, was like home.
“We feel like the board hasn’t been listening,” said Julie Waters, Joshua’s mom.
She doesn’t see how closing Pinkerton solves the district’s financial shortfall. She worries that more painful school board meetings, with more painful closures, are ahead.
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