Dallas Independent School District announced a proposal to close or consolidate six campuses as it confronts a budget shortfall exceeding $100 million. Among the sites under review is the Joseph J. Rhoads Early Learning Center in South Dallas, a pre‑K hub that serves more than 120 children and provides an attached family resource center.
Parents and community leaders push back
South Dallas parents, led by Taylor Estelle, whose three‑year‑old son attends Rhoads, argue the center is a lifeline for working families. “We need programs like this here in Dallas, specifically in inner‑city communities, where children can come and feel supported, loved, and nurtured,” Estelle said.
Estelle has organized a petition that has collected more than 560 signatures demanding that the board keep the school open. He warns that moving children to larger, mixed‑age schools would disrupt the close‑knit environment that has helped his son learn to count and develop a love of learning.
Board trustees question the savings
School board trustee Ed Turner, who represents the Rhoads district, expressed surprise that the campus was included in the first round of closures. “I was shocked that J.J. Rhoads was even considered,” Turner said. He noted that the center operates at a cost of about $1.7 million per year, or roughly nine cents for every $100 of the district’s budget, and currently enrolls 122 of its 130 available seats.
Turner also raised concerns that closing the early learning center would not generate the projected $2.6 million in savings per campus because the building would remain in use as a family resource center. “I’m not against consolidation. I’m for smart consolidation,” he added.
Impact on families
Parents like Lemarion Patterson, whose four‑year‑old daughter is in pre‑K 3 at Rhoads, fear the loss of the center’s extended hours, which accommodate parents who work early mornings and late evenings. “Children can arrive around 7 a.m. and stay until 5:30 p.m.,” Patterson explained. “I can’t imagine her having to go anywhere else at this age because this school is like a community.” She said she would consider private schooling if the center closed.
Broader district considerations
The consolidation plan also targets other early learning sites, such as the N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center in Oak Cliff. Trustee Byron Sanders, who represents Harllee, said dwindling enrollment makes it difficult to justify the cost of a separate campus. He pointed to statewide funding challenges, noting that many Texas districts face deficits and rely on limited state aid.
Sanders highlighted that recent legislative appropriations added billions to public‑education funding, but much of the money was earmarked for specific programs, leaving districts with little flexibility for everyday operating expenses. “We’re dealing with this because we don’t have enough money coming from the state,” he said.
Dallas ISD has expanded full‑day pre‑K for three‑ and four‑year‑olds district‑wide, offering families more options even if stand‑alone early learning centers close. “I would love to keep them both, but if we had to choose, we’d rather have the universal pre‑K option available districtwide,” Sanders said.
Next steps
The school board is scheduled to discuss the consolidation plan at its Thursday meeting. Other campuses under consideration include Harrell Budd Elementary, Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary, Arlington Park Early Childhood Center, and Boude Storey Middle School.
Community members are encouraged to attend the meeting, submit comments, and continue gathering support for the schools they wish to preserve. The outcome will shape how Dallas families access early education and family services in the coming years.
Original reporting: Dallas Free Press — read the source article.
