In a 6-1 vote, the Spring Branch Independent School District trustees voted to close down two schools and dissolve charter school programs at three of its other campuses next year, to address the district’s anticipated $35 million budget shortfall for the 2024-25 school year.
The resolution called for the closure of the Panda Path School for Early Learning and Treasure Forest Elementary, and the discontinuation of the SKY partnership, a three-way partnership between SBISD and two public charter school programs – YES Prep Public Schools and KIPP Texas Public Schools.
“We remain angry and disappointed that throughout the 88th Legislative Session and four subsequent special sessions, individuals elected to represent us could not pass a single piece of legislation to provide much-needed funding for our public schools. That’s ZERO new money since 2019, while our costs have escalated due to double-digit inflation.”
Board vice president lisa alpe
The schools serve a primarily Hispanic (90%) and economically disadvantaged (80%) student population. Around 2,100 students will be impacted by the closures.
”Our board of trustees and administration take very seriously what closing schools and ending long-standing programs means for our students, families, staff and community,” board president Chris Earnest said in a statement. “These are decisions we had hoped we would not have to make.”
Students of Treasure Forest Elementary will be directed to Houseman and Ridgecrest elementary schools, both situated approximately one mile away.
Budget cuts: the reason behind the closures
The West Houston district has been cutting costs, anticipating a $35 million budget crunch the next school year.
Budget reduction measures will amount to a projected $8.8 million in annual savings, according to the district.
Students and their families have been pushing back against this decision, arguing that it disproportionately targets underserved communities.
On the other hand, district officials are pointing fingers at the state legislature for its failure to allocate more funds for public schools, which led to cost-cutting measures.
Among the trustees, Minda Caesar is the only board member who voted against the school closures.
In November, the Spring Branch ISD trustees approved cuts worth $2.9 million in annual savings. This comprised tuition increases in pre-kindergarten tuition, adjusting Pre-K Center boundaries, high teacher-to-student ratios, and pausing four elementary school rebuilds that are part of the 2017 bond program.
In another budget cut that did not require the board’s vote, the district’s SPIRAL gifted and talented program for third through fifth graders will be redesigned, with an annual projected savings of roughly $762,744.
Another budget cut, worth $23 million to bridge the remaining budget gap for the 2024-25 school year, will come from central office downsizing.
Who’s to blame?
“The blame lies squarely with our state leaders and elected officials who have failed the children of Texas and SBISD,” Earnest added. “We find it reprehensible that Governor Abbott has willfully chosen to neglect 5.5 million Texas public school students and educators while sitting on the largest budget surplus in state history.”
The voting on the closure of Bendwood Academy, a campus with around 900 students for specialized gifted and talented programming, is yet to take place.
“We are saddened by Spring Branch’s decision to discontinue our partnership,” said YES Prep CEO Mark DiBella in a statement. “At the same time, as a public school system in Texas, we understand the financial challenges that SBISD is facing.”
“We remain angry and disappointed that throughout the 88th Legislative Session and four subsequent special sessions, individuals elected to represent us could not pass a single piece of legislation to provide much-needed funding for our public schools. That’s ZERO new money since 2019, while our costs have escalated due to double-digit inflation,” said Board Vice President Lisa Alpe.
SBISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Blaine said the budget reduction plan of 2011 wrecked the district’s support for educators as it did not have much time to develop a plan amidst state budget challenges that “forced” districts to reduce their budgets in haste. She said it also led to a decline in student achievement.
In August, the trustees voted unanimously to stop Blaine from paying the district’s state recapture dues for the next school year. As SBISD is one of the 150 “property-rich” districts in Texas, it is required to give some of its tax revenue to property-poor districts under the state’s eponymous “Robin Hood” program.
The program is designed to distribute funding across a district’s public schools. SBISD, with 33,500 students, has made more than $200 million in recapture payments in the last three years.
Blaine and the trustees maintain that state schools’ per-student allotment has not increased since 2019.
“We will not let the leaders in Austin take us down. The harder they try to destroy public education, the harder we will work to make sure our students continue to succeed at the very highest levels and SBISD remains a destination district for families and educators, even if we have to do things differently,” Blaine said.
