Lewisville ISD parents unhappy with district's decision to close schools
LEWISVILLE — Lewisville Independent School District is the latest district to decide to close some of its schools. The Board of Trustees voted Monday night to close five elementary schools and also rezone parts of the district.
Parents like Laura Minter are now left to pick up the pieces. Minter said she had a tough conversation with her 9-year-old Peyton who found out his school would be closing for good.
"I looked at my rearview mirror and he started crying. He started asking me questions like 'What's going to happen to my friends? What's going to happen to my teachers?'" Minter said.
Peyton attends Highland Village Elementary, one of the five campuses the board voted to close on Monday night. The list also includes B.B. Owen, Creekside, Garden Ridge, and Polser elementary schools and boundary changes for seven other middle and elementary schools.
"That's not anything that any of these students should have to carry or worry about. It's not their fault that their school is closing. It shouldn't be closing at all," Minter said
In a statement, Lewisville ISD said the closures are a result of "enrollment declining in recent years, creating significant financial strain." The district said that "Without increased funding from the state, [it] faced limited options to address its $4.5-million budget shortfall."
"If we don't make financial changes, the deficit will grow," said Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp, who explained in October the district simply has more facilities than it needs. "We saw growth in the 90s in the 2000s and the big bulk of buildings that were built in that time were elementaries."
Minter said her son's school never had an issue with enrollment and wishes the board waited a little longer before banging the gavel.
"Your minds were made up," Minter said about the district. "I hope that you will hear the messages that people continue to pour out and realize that a mistake was made."
Parents will be able to pick what campus their children transition to and those students will be able to attend the same feeder schools. The district said the closures will take place by the end of the school year.
