Coppell ISD trustees on Monday postponed a vote on a controversial plan to close Town Center Elementary School, reversing a local trend of school closures across North Texas.
But the pause could be only temporary: A vote is likely to take place later this month.
As the meeting began, school board president David Caviness said trustees had asked a lot of questions prior to the meeting.
“I’ve also had a couple of requests come in – actually more than a couple - from trustees, that we move any formal action...that was scheduled for tonight.“
As a result, he said there would be ‘discussions only,’ with formal action moved to a future meeting, “as early as October 27,” unless there were objections. There were none.
District administrators had previously outlined dropping enrollment, an $8.5 million deficit, and offered the option of saving nearly $1.5 million by closing Town Center.
Expecting a possible school board vote to close Coppell ISD’s Town Center Elementary School, at least 44 speakers signed up to address trustees about the school’s future.
Parent Aurthur Mendez wants it to stay open. He said his Spanish-speaking daughters grew up attending Town Center and successfully graduated after mastering English, thanks to the ESL program and their teachers.
“The staff didn’t just teach my daughters, they embraced them,” he said. “It may seem like a small thing, but when a child feels safe, included and loved, they are ready learn.”
He said closing the school would “tear a hole in the fabric of the community.”
Alicia Howard told trustees her family was thinking of moving to Coppell specifically so her son could attend Town Center, with its sense of “community and stability.” She warned that if it closes, “we'll have to reconsider our plans entirely, whether that means moving to another city or more likely turning to private school options.”
Paul Heeg offered up a list of reasons the school should stay open, from its highly ranked safety record and unique programs to unreliable data and traffic studies that initially suggested Town Center should close. He called the school the heart of the community.
“Protect it and you'll protect what makes Coppell strong,” he told trustees.
Trustees not only paused the vote to consider Town Center’s future, they voted to pursue a “Cowboys United plan,” calling it a strategic initiative designed to recruit and retain families by making Coppell a so-called “destination district,” and offering a variety of school “choice” options like ones they already have, including an International Baccalaureate program and a career and technology campus.
Details are still being discussed, but such a plan might not appear until the 2026-27 school year, according to the district.
Meanwhile, Coppell trustees could again take up a vote on Town Center’s future at the next board meeting Oct. 27, 2025.
If the school board votes to close the campus, it would extend a trend trustees are familiar with, having already voted last September to close Pinkerton Elementary.
Other North Texas districts have faced similar tough decisions in recent years: Richardson, Plano, Irving, Grapevine-Colleyville and other districts have all closed campuses to save money.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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