After more than two hours of discussion, the Coppell community held its breath in anticipation for the final Town Center Elementary School consolidation vote.
On Monday night, the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees voted 5-2 against the consolidation of TCES into other district elementary campuses.
The decision against consolidation marks the end of a long fight for TCES parents who could not see a reason good enough to justify a consolidation.
“We spent so many hours looking at the data just trying to make sense of this decision and we could not,” Coppell resident Brent Billington said, “I am just happy at the end that common sense prevailed.”
During the deliberation of the consolidation of TCES, the Board reevaluated other elementary schools initially considered including Austin, Cottonwood Creek, Lakeside and Mockingbird Elementaries.
”We still do not know why TCES was chosen in the first place,” TCES parent Heather Thurgood said, “They gave some reasons, but those reasons could be applied to other schools. It does not make sense and it hurts our city.”
With district enrollment declining, CISD faces an $8.5 million budget shortfall. Closing TCES was estimated to save $1.4 million annually.
However, CISD will pivot to alternate solutions to the ongoing budget crisis including strengthening the data-driven retention and recruitment initiative Cowboys United: We are the CHOICE and staff reductions.
“The steps ahead will likely affect many areas of our district,” Superintendent Dr. Leanne Shivers said in a press release. “While staffing reductions will take place, throughout the decision process, we will work to keep all stakeholders informed and to ensure the impact on students is as minimal as possible.”
Aside from addressing the budget deficit, Cowboys United aims to expand elementary choice programs beginning in 2027-28, limited open enrollment for families not zoned to the district and realign boundaries to maximize enrollment across campuses.
The path ahead for the district is still uncertain, but TCES families feel more at ease.
“I am just really happy it is over,” Billington said, “Most of us did not even know each other, but I am so incredibly proud of this community. We all came together.”
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