Leander ISD discusses long-range plan amid budget deficit, declining enrollment

AISD & Leander ISD discuss school closures

Two school districts have meetings to discuss possible school closures. This comes as districts deal with budget deficits, declining enrollment, and poor accountability ratings

LEANDER, Texas - Leander ISD is holding a workshop Tuesday night to discuss its long-range plan for handling its budget deficit and declining enrollment at certain schools.

Possible paths for Leander ISD

What we know:

The district says several Leander ISD elementary campuses are operating at less than 60% capacity and facing chronic underfunding. Superintendent Bruce Gearing says the unprecedented crisis needs to be solved.

To fix that, the district is looking at three possible approaches.

Path 1 would consolidate campuses for these elementary schools for a combined $4.15 million in savings:

• Faubion to Westside
• Cypress to Naumann
• Steiner Ranch to Laura W. Bush and River Ridge

Path 2 would be to adjust staffing numbers for elementary schools with low enrollment for $1.78 million in savings. This could mean sharing instructional coaches, combining positions, or cutting assistant principals at campuses with fewer than 350 students.

Path 3 would be a partial consolidation of programs to save $3.55 million. The hybrid approach could look like campuses being partially consolidated or co-located with district services. For example, special programs or alternative learning centers.

Leander ISD looking at plan to handle budget deficit

Leander ISD is looking at long-range plan to handle a budget deficit and declining enrollment at certain schools.

What they're saying:

Leander ISD Board President Anna Smith says Tuesday's workshop will be the first in-depth conversation about the plans. She wants to see balance at the low- and high- enrollment campuses. 

"I'm leaning toward a path that keeps community balance and student needs at the forefront, but also making sure our staff has the manageable workload," she said.

She says there are difficult conversations about what to cut, especially with underfunding from the state. 

"Nobody wants to close schools, but the reality is we do have a $18 million budget deficit," Smith said. 

Board Member Paul Gauthier (Place 7) says he doesn't agree with any of the plans. 

"We need to save the schools. Every school matters. Every kid matters. It's a marriage that we can't have a divorce for. We have the money to keep every school open," he said. 

He wants to look at cutting other costs, like board meeting meals or movers for certain equipment. 

"We have a lot of other costly measures," he said. 

Local perspective:

Erin Osman has three children in Leander ISD, with two at Cypress Elementary.

"It was a shock to our community," she said of the possible closure.

"What we're asking is to partner with the board and to partner with the administration and be a part of this conversation and see the transparency and the data and the approach that they are using to make these decisions," she said.

"Closures are being treated as only one way to fix our budget. The closures are blunt tools with long-term costs, other districts are proving there are smarter options available," said one parent.

"This has already been a very long road for many people on the community side. There have been people preparing comments for board meetings, holding outside meetings, visiting the capitol to speak with elected officials all as we try to help our kids prepare mentally and emotionally to navigate the anxiety they are already feeling," said another parent. 

They've also started a petition. 

"What we're really asking is that we slow down, and we do this right," she said. "No one is arguing that we should not do anything. What we're arguing is that we really need to look at the district budget as a whole."

What's next:

At the Sept. 18 board meeting, the district will make a recommendation for the board to review. 

A final vote is anticipated on Oct. 9.