On Monday night, the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees removed New Tech High @ Coppell and Austin Elementary School from the list of potential campus closures and reviewed options for consolidating Pinkerton Elementary School. 

Maintaining the district’s operations depends on its fund balance, notably during the September to December period when tax revenues have yet to be collected. Due to a projected $6.8 million budget deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year, CISD is implementing ways to cut costs in order to leave disbursements for staff salaries and other running expenses. 

Previously, New Tech and Austin Elementary were among the options for consolidation due to budget concerns going into effect for the 2025-26 school year. The board determined that New Tech would instead receive more support in increasing enrollment and efficiency rather than being consolidated with Coppell High School and the Coppell High School Ninth Grade campus which would save $2.1 million. 

The board is set to finalize its decision regarding the remaining consolidation options on Sept. 30.

“We need to get some things off of the table,” trustee Anthony Hill said. “I think that keeping it all on the table would make it tougher on Sept. 30 when it comes to expediting.”

This leaves the consideration of consolidating Pinkerton Elementary into Wilson and Austin Elementary Schools as well as moving the International Baccalaureate and Dual Language Immersion programs. Consolidating the DLI program into one campus would save a net cost of $288,000. Post-pandemic enrollment trends have indicated a decline, especially at the elementary level which has prompted action for consolidation to avoid a drop below 75% in campus utilization.

“Nobody wants to be doing what we are doing,” trustee Manish Sethi said. “But that is the situation we are in, and we have to make a decision.”

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