Plano votes on future of three school properties slated for closure
PLANO - The City of Plano voted Monday in favor of entering into an interlocal agreement with Plano ISD, initiating the process of deciding the future of three school properties slated to close by the end of the school year.
This comes as several other districts, including Richardson, Fort Worth and Lewisville, are also closing schools.
"It's going to be sad to see it go," said Plano resident Donna Timberross, who has lived across from Davis Elementary for more than two decades. The school was a significant part of her son's childhood.
"He was in second grade there, and I was able to walk my son across the street every morning before I went to work," Timberross recalled.
Chase Nordquist, who also lives across from Davis, hoped the school would one day be part of his future family.
"We selected this property to start our family, so we would have loved to see our daughter grow up and walk across the street to go to her school," Nordquist admitted.
Now, these families are facing the reality of their local school getting a new identity. Plano ISD voted to sell three of the four schools slated to close this spring, including Armstrong Middle School, Davis Elementary School, and Forman Elementary School.
In a press release, the school district stated it will negotiate with the City of Plano to determine future uses that benefit the community while maintaining neighborhood integrity. The city has already started considering potential options for the three properties, including relocating city facilities, a fire station, or single-family housing.
"Something that would be very conducive to the existing neighborhood, not disruptive, and it might be housing for the open market or workforce housing," said Matthew Yage, the City of Plano's real estate manager.
Whatever the plans are, the city understands it will impact these surrounding neighborhoods directly. Many families moved to these areas to be close to the schools, and now they want a say in what these schools become. "I would love to see the elementary school stay there too, but it's not going to. So, I'd rather see a community center," Timberross added.
"I would like to see the space become something that utilizes the park that's right behind it and the church next to it. So, a senior living center or a daycare even," Nordquist told CBS News Texas.
Yage assured the community would be involved.
"Most likely any opportunity for public comment will be in the spring as the investigation of the properties is a little bit further along," Yage said. "The city is currently obtaining environmental assessments on these properties to understand what's in the buildings and what is on the ground there. Also, what's happening now - appraisals will be done so that we can agree on a fair price with the school district for the properties to be sold to the city."