Dallas Independent School District is weighing the closure or consolidation of six campuses as it confronts a budget shortfall exceeding $104 million, a move that could affect thousands of students across the city.
According to NBC DFW, the schools under consideration are Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center, N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center, Harrell Budd Elementary School, Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School, Arlington Park Early Childhood Center, and Boude Storey Middle School. The district says the closures would take effect in the 2027‑28 school year, with trustees set to begin discussion Thursday at 4 p.m. at district offices on Samuell Boulevard.
Dallas Free Press reports that the deficit stems from inflation, declining enrollment, and reduced state funding, challenges echoed by other North Texas districts. The district estimates that consolidating each campus could save about $2.6 million, though trustee Ed Turner, who represents J.J. Rhoads, questioned the actual savings, noting the center currently enrolls 122 students with capacity for 130 and costs roughly $1.7 million annually to operate.
Parents of early‑learning students voiced strong opposition. Taylor Estelle, whose three‑year‑old attends J.J. Rhoads, highlighted the center’s role in providing extended hours—from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.—crucial for working families. He has gathered more than 560 signatures to keep the school open. Similarly, Lemarion Patterson, parent of a pre‑K3 student at Rhoads, expressed concern about moving her daughter to a larger school with older children.
Trustee Byron Sanders, representing N.W. Harllee, acknowledged low enrollment at that site but emphasized the broader fiscal pressures facing Texas districts. He cited the need for a larger increase in per‑student funding from the state legislature, noting that recent education funding increases were largely restricted to specific purposes, leaving districts with limited flexibility for operating costs.
Governor‑elect Gina Hinojosa, speaking Thursday, pledged to increase teacher pay, repeal the state’s $1 billion voucher program, and prevent further school closures. She framed the proposed Dallas ISD cuts as part of a larger statewide issue, promising to “take our children’s education back from a government that has failed them.”
Dallas ISD officials have not released detailed criteria for selecting the six campuses. However, the district’s plan includes options for affected families, such as moving Rhoads students to H.S. Thompson Elementary, which serves pre‑K through fifth grade, and offering Harllee families enrollment at the forthcoming Cedar Crest Elementary School slated for construction with 2026 bond funds.
What’s next: The school board will discuss the consolidation proposal Thursday, with a public meeting open to residents. A final decision on the six campuses is expected later this month, and any closures would be implemented for the 2027‑28 academic year.
Sources: dallasfreepress.com, nbcdfw.com
