Facing what she described as a $28.5 million budget deficit “if nothing changes,” Richardson Superintendent Tabitha Branum announced plans Thursday night to close five schools.
Under what the district calls Project RightSize, Greenwood Hills Elementary, Springridge Elementary, Spring Valley Elementary and Thurgood Marshall Elementary would be consolidated with neighboring elementary schools starting with the upcoming 2024-25 school year.
Dobie Pre-Kindergarten School would close starting in the 2025-26 school year. The district says in its plan that pre-kindergarten is offered at other campuses and “a separate pre-K school is no longer necessary.”
The district estimates the closures would save nearly $11 million a year and add an estimated $10 million in one-time funds
“It is with an absolute commitment that we are going to put our students and our staff and our parents first,” Branum said during Thursday’s board meeting.” But she also recognized that in order to have a “budget that is sustainable. . . we have to do things differently."
Richardson’s not alone. Plano, Fort Worth, and Everman ISD’s have closed or announced school closures. Superintendents statewide have called for more state education funding from a legislature that hasn’t increased school funding since 2019.
"This is not a result of poor stewardship by past admin or previous boards,” Branum said. “This is really a result of increased requirements, increased inflation and no new additional dollars coming into the system.”
Despite the state’s recent record budget surplus, growing student population and rapid inflation, state lawmakers added no education funding for schools after Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher plan failed in the legislature.
Richardson ISD will hold a series of listening sessions next week at schools around the district:
- Elementary school impact in Pearce Learning Community: Feb. 26, Pearce High School Commons Area – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
- Elementary school impact in Berkner Learning Community: Feb. 27, Berkner High School Auditorium – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
- Elementary school impact in Richardson Learning Community: Feb. 28, Richardson High School Auditorium – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
- Elementary school impact in Lake Highlands Learning Community: March 4, Lake Highlands High School H Building Auditorium – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. (H Building is the former Freshman Center – 10200 White Rock Trail)
- Dobie Pre-Kindergarten School Impact: March 5, RISD Academy – 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
