COPPELL, Texas — It’s the oldest public school in Coppell.
The Coppell Independent School District is considering closing Pinkerton Elementary School and consolidating Pinkerton students into Wilson Elementary and Austin Elementary for efficiency.
District leadership said the potential closure comes amid budget challenges and declining enrollment.
Parents will have the opportunity to share their concerns with the board during a Town Hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening.
Julie Waters, a parent with three children who attend Pinkerton Elementary said the meeting is expected to be packed with parents, students and neighbors who want to save the school.
“It’s a part of our community,” Waters said. “This is our last stand for Pinkerton.”
Waters launched a Facebook group ‘Keep ALL Coppell Schools Open’ in an effort to keep parents informed and provide parents with a platform to discuss the potential school closure.
The board previously considered closing three schools, but narrowed it down to one potential closure. The remaining options under the board’s consideration include moving the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, Leveling Pre-K enrollment districtwide, and consolidating the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program at Wilson to one campus for efficiency.
Waters told WFAA she and her family moved to Coppell for the school district, and specifically, to give her kids the opportunity to attend Pinkerton Elementary for its IB World program.
“It’s devastating,” Wilson said. “They would move our kids to Wilson Elementary that is predominatly a Spanish-speaking dual language school. Our kids would displace their kids, and all those dual-language students would have to get on a bus every morning and be bussed all the way across town if they wanted to continue the Spanish-speaking program. It’s not right.”
Nathaniel Ruby, whose two daughters attend Pinkerton, plans to attend Wednesday night’s meeting.
“It’s been very concerning,” Ruby said. “It’s a big change for them all at once. It’s not just my kids, it’s kids at the other schools who are gonna have to be displaced. It’s just a big domino effect of kids being impacted by financial decisions.”
In a message from Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt, he said as of today, the district anticipates a budget deficit of $6.8 million for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. According to Hunt, consolidating Pinkerton with Wilson and Austin would save the district $2.1 million.
"To me, it feels like we’re closing down a school and it’s not even going to fix the issue," Ruby said.
In a statement, a district spokesperson said in part: “Taking care of our students, employees and our families remains the top priority during this process… CISD encourages the community to share their input at a Town Hall on Sept. 18.”
Carol McGuire, a Coppell ISD parent whose children do not attend Pinkerton Elementary urged parents to take their fight to lawmakers in Austin. McGuire said the district’s budget deficit is due to state funding that hasn’t been released.
“It’s heartbreaking to think that this school might close, but I think the reality is that if nothing changes from a budgetary standpoint, our district will fall below the expectations of being able to keep our credit rating,” McGuire said. “The budget is what it is, and the numbers of the enrollment do not support keeping another school open.”
Jonathan Powers, a Pinkerton Elementary parent said he understands the district’s challenges.
“There’s been a big drop in enrollment, and the state hasn’t increased funding, so you’ve got to make hard choices,” Powers said.
Wednesday’s Town Hall meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at CHS9 Auditorium, located at 1301 Wrangler Circle in Coppell.
The board is set to make its decision during a meeting on Monday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. If the board decides to close Pinkerton, it would take effect next school year.