Pflugerville ISD to close four elementary schools

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - The Pflugerville ISD School Board voted Thursday evening to close four elementary schools in an effort to tackle its budget deficit.

Those schools are Parmer Lane, Dessau, Windermere, and Pflugerville Elementary. The closures will take effect in the 2027-28 school year.

Local perspective:

At Thursday's meeting, many people spoke against the cuts.

"Please keep Pflugerville Elementary open for these students. They're worth the investment of the district," a Pflugerville Elementary teacher said during public comment.

Windermere parents upset over change

Dig deeper:

Many Windermere parents were upset because, a week ago, they thought their school wasn't closing. The superintendent said last week, the board asked administrators to bring back data on other elementary campuses for consideration, including Windermere.

"For months we've been gaslighted and disrespected but every past wrong pales in comparison to placing Windermere back on the closure list after we were explicitly told by the school board and superintendent that Windermere would not be closed tonight," one Windermere parent said during public comment.

"It is a very dishonorable thing to communicate with people one way to offer assurances, to provide promises, and then change that promise overnight in the cover of darkness," another parent said.

PfISD superintendent speaks

In a letter to families, Superintendent Quintin Shepherd said in part: "I know this is hard news. No one went into education to talk about closing schools. I did not, our principals did not, and I know our Board did not either." 

He says the four closures only address a portion of the budget shortfall.

Shepherd says the financial pressures facing the district are driven by a state funding model that has not kept pace with inflation or the evolving needs of public education.

Read the full letter from Shepherd below:

Dear Pflugerville ISD Families and Staff,

Tonight, the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees made its final decisions regarding District Optimization, and I want to share that update with you directly and without delay.

After months of community engagement, data review, and difficult deliberation, the Board approved the closure of Dessau Elementary School, Parmer Lane Elementary School, Pflugerville Elementary School, and Windermere Elementary School, effective with the 2027–2028 school year.

I want to provide some important context around the Windermere decision, specifically. At last week's Board workshop, Board members asked district administration to bring back data on additional elementary school campuses for consideration, including Windermere Elementary. Upon reviewing that data, the Board decided last night to move forward with closing Windermere as part of this action. 

I want to be clear: all four of these campuses will remain fully open throughout the 2026–2027 school year. Students at Dessau, Parmer Lane, Pflugerville Elementary, and Windermere will continue to receive the same excellent education and the full range of opportunities available at every PfISD elementary school. Nothing changes for your child this coming school year, and our commitment to their success remains unwavering.

I know this is hard news. No one went into education to talk about closing schools. I did not, our principals did not, and I know our Board did not either. Every one of our school communities is special. Every campus in this district has shaped young lives, supported families, and made Pflugerville stronger. That does not change because a building closes. The people, the programs, and the commitment to our kids will continue.

I also want to be honest with you about where we go from here.

These four closures, as significant as they are, will address only a portion of our expected budget shortfall. The financial pressures facing our district, driven by a state funding model that has not kept pace with inflation or the evolving needs of public education, require us to continue this work. Pflugerville ISD is not alone in this. The majority of school districts across Texas are navigating the same structural challenge, and like them, we must make responsible decisions to remain sustainable.

The Board has directed administration to bring back additional middle school options for community input and further discussion. We anticipate beginning that work this summer and carrying it into the start of the next school year. Any changes that result from that process would also take effect for the 2027–2028 school year.

The reason for that timeline matters, and I want to explain it. In order to properly support our students and families through any transition, we must complete a boundary and rezoning process. That work affects master scheduling, course selections, and transportation planning across the district. To do it right, decisions must be made in early Fall so that the rezoning process can begin in late Fall. We are committed to giving families as much time and information as possible throughout that process.

As we move into this next phase, community input will remain central to our work. We will share opportunities to engage as that process gets underway, and I encourage you to stay involved. Your voice has mattered throughout this process, and it will continue to matter.

I know this has been a long and difficult road — for our families, for our staff, and for everyone who loves these schools. The weight of these decisions is real, and I do not minimize it. But I also know this community. I have seen how Pflugerville shows up for its kids, and I have no doubt that we will do so again.

We will pull together. We will ensure that every student in every PfISD school continues to receive an excellent education. And we will face what is ahead with the same honesty, compassion, and resolve that have carried us through this process.

Thank you for your trust, your patience, and your love for this district. We will move forward together.

Yours in Education,

Dr. Quintin Shepherd
Superintendent
Pflugerville Independent School District

What's next:

Changes to middle schools could also be coming. The Board has asked administrators to bring middle school options for discussion this summer and into the next school year.

With the changes, there also has to be a boundary and rezoning process which will affect scheduling and transportation. Those discussions will start in the fall.