DISD Board To Vote On 4 School Closures
DALLAS (CBS11) - The Dallas School Board will determine the future for four schools on Thursday evening.
The schools face a shutdown with board approval, because of poor academic performance. But if the school board does not close the schools, the district could face a takeover by the Texas Education Agency. "This is an existential crisis," School Board Trustee Miguel Solis said Wednesday.
Carr Elementary, Edison Middle, Ray Elementary and Titche Elementary all carry four consecutive year distinctions of poor performance based on state standards.
The TEA accountability ratings for all schools lists the Dallas ISD quartet of identified schools as "Improvement Required," the state's lowest rating. Dallas ISD administrators etched out a plan to close the troubled schools, and transfer the students to neighboring campuses.
Tanisha Williams is a parent with children attending J.W. Ray Elementary in East Dallas. She and other parents say despite a decreasing enrollment, and low test scores, she does not support closing her neighborhood school. "I want them to keep it open, I like it. My kids like it," she said. But across the street from Titche Elementary, parent Daniel York has two children he removed from the school.
"We had a teacher tell us to get our kids out of the school. it's pretty alarming that you have a school that bad," York said.
York did not object to a TEA takeover of the entire district if the identified schools did not improve.
Dallas ISD Chief of School Leadershp Stephanie Elizalde said all four schools on the closure list are showing academic improvement, but DISD offers the closure plan as a remedy.
"The schools are not meeting the needs of our students currently. There may be several factors. I have to take responsibility for the fact we are not meeting our kids needs," she said.
The school board meets Thursday evening.
