Overview
- The board voted Thursday night to close Western Hills, McDermott and Mabelvale elementary schools after the 2026–27 school year and approved new attendance boundaries for affected students.
- LRSD’s LRSD Forward plan says the district failed to meet its fiscal 2027 reduction targets and remains about $4–7 million short while estimating the three closures could save roughly $4.7 million to $5.3 million a year.
- Enrollment in the district has fallen more than 21% since late 2013, shrinking state per-student revenue and contributing to an operating fund balance that district officials say fell from $30.8 million in 2022–23 to about $11 million in 2025–26.
- Parents and neighborhood leaders protested at public meetings and urged other cuts, and two board members voted against the plan while the board pledged to move programs such as Western Hills’ autism services to other campuses and to support student transitions.
- Credit rating firm Moody’s recently lowered LRSD’s rating because reserves are eroding and long-term liabilities are high, which could raise future borrowing costs and means the district must show sustained budget surpluses to rebuild financial stability.