Overview
- Trustees approved the closures on a 5-1 vote, with newly appointed trustee Liz Jensen opposing the plan over concerns about limited community feedback.
- Link Elementary students will shift to Lewis or Beneke, and Dueitt Middle students will move to Bailey or Bammel, with portions of the Bailey and Bammel zones redirected to Wells and Twin Creeks to create capacity.
- Bammel Middle must enter a Texas Education Agency-approved restart, with options including an accelerated staffing model, an SB 1882 outside partnership, or adding 30 instructional days; the district has not selected a path.
- District leaders cite underused campuses at roughly 60% capacity, aging facilities, and low accountability ratings, including recent D and F grades for Link and a D for Dueitt.
- Consultants project just over $4 million in first-year savings and more than $29 million across five years, and district figures show a loss of roughly 1,100 students this year.