Due to budget constraints, Aldine ISD voted to close six of its 75 campuses.
Officials said closing the campuses would save the school district roughly $32 million and offset a budget deficit projected to reach $65 million this school year.
The move would be devastating to students of color, as Aldine ISD’s racially diverse student body is broken down as follows: Hispanic/Latino (74.1%), Black (21.6%) and white (2%).
De Santiago Primary, Stovall Primary, Eckert Elementary, Oleson Elementary, Raymond Elementary and Smith Elementary will remain open until the end of the school year. In the 2025-26 school year, more than 2,900 students from these six schools will be relocated to other campuses.
The school district has closed nine campuses in the last two years. In 2024, Conley Elementary School, Sammons Elementary School and Gray Elementary School were shut down.
The school district cited declining enrollment, lack of state funding and affordable housing in the community, declining birth rates, a consequent decline in state funding and competition from charter schools as the reasons behind the decision. Aldine ISD has lost over 10,000 students in the last 10 years and is projected to lose 9,000 more by 2034.
What board members said
All school board members, including President Dr. Kimberley N. Booker, Vice President Conception “Connie” Esparza, Steve Mead, Rose Avalos, Randy Bates Jr. and Paul Shanklin voted to close the schools. Dr. Viola M. Garcia was the only exception.
Garcia said that despite operating on a budget deficit over the last two years, Aldine ISD should explore all options to increase enrollment before choosing school closures as a cost-cutting measure.
“I know that the impact on the students and staff will be profound or could be profound,” said Garcia. “I'm confident that rather than depend mostly on this optimization work, the board's goals and expectations are that the administration, along with the parents, will work fervently to explore every option to intentionally increase both enrollment and attendance.”
Bates Jr. said that while the Aldine ISD parents have entrusted the board member with the responsibility to “lead,” they have also put a financial oversight responsibility on them. Hence, with a “heavy heart,” he voted in favor of the school closures.
“Everyone on this board has agonized during the discussions on this matter,” he added. “One of the things that helped me get to that decision was that I am convinced that the students who will be moving from schools that are closing down, will either be moved to a better facility that will help the learning process, or they will be moving to a higher achieving school academically. And in most cases, both.”
Community reactions
While there was no vocal and organized opposition to the decision, some parents expressed concern about the distance from their homes to the new schools their children will be attending.
Lina Perez, a parent whose three children attended Raymond Elementary, requested board members not to close down the school.
“It would be an honor if my youngest daughter could continue her education and graduate from Raymond like her two older sisters did,” Perez said in an online comment. “My youngest daughter excels in her education because of the fantastic teacher's efforts at Raymond…Seeing Raymond closed down would be heartbreaking for my daughters and me.”
Other school districts
Aldine ISD is not alone in its struggles. Several Texas school districts have reported declining enrollment due to factors such as rising housing costs, shifting demographics and reduced birth rates.
With state education funding tied directly to student enrollment, several districts are being forced to consolidate campuses and cut costs.
Recently, Fort Worth ISD considered closing up to 25 schools to address a $17 million budget deficit, Spring Branch ISD voted to close five campuses, and Houston ISD proposed consolidating seven campuses as part of its “co-location” plan but did not implement it because of the failed 2024 bond proposal that would have funded the proposal.
