PLANO, Texas — Ahead of the Plano ISD Board of Trustees vote on whether to close four schools Monday, parents rallied in an effort to save Davis Elementary.
The district's vote was expected to draw parent comment from each of the two elementary and two middle schools, perhaps none was expected to be more vocal than the community from Davis Elementary.
Parents at the school, which hosts the district's deaf education program, organized a Facebook group, launched a petition drive and handed out fliers to encourage neighbors to voice opposition to the Plano ISD plans.
The other schools on the chopping block were Carpenter Middle School, Armstrong Middle and Forman Elementary.
The district said all four had declining enrollment -- Davis, for example, had 30% of its desks empty this school year. The building was built in 1972, although it had been updated, the district said.
"Fighting for my kids’ school was not on my summer bingo card," said Andrea Stumpf, whose family passed out fliers in her neighborhood.
"We believe in Davis, we believe in this community, we believe in the culture they created and we believe it’s worth saving that you can’t just close it and split it and hope that culture will continue," she said.
Other parents remained opposed to the closure, but more resigned the district seemed determined to close their child's school.
During the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, nine parents spoke directly to the board.
Sheila Torres, a Plano ISD parent, said one of the schools closing shaped her son into the person he is now.
"By proposing closing this school the community will suffer tremendously. You are shutting down a place that offers stability for a lot of families," Torres said.
Another parent, who is a Forman employee and Plano ISD parent, became emotional while addressing the board.
"We have been set up for failure, and I think this is now being held against us," she said. "Are we not part of PISD? If we are, it doesn’t feel like we are, or maybe we are just on the wrong side of 75."
"It’s devastating and heartbreaking that it’s ours this time, but it’s going to be other schools in the future," said Davis Elementary PTA President Jessi Kuehn, bemoaning the spate of school closures that has affected multiple North Texas districts this year.
She worried what would be lost closing Davis would be hard to replicate, as the closure plan calls for students and teachers to divide into different nearby campuses.
"There’s so much community here and to be split just down the middle is hard," she said.
Superintendent Dr. Theresa Williams read a prepared statement during the meeting, saying in part: "I want to express my deepest empathy, compassion, and care for students, staff, and everyone impacted," Williams said. "Our students and staff will continue to be our top priority."
The district said closures would not take effect until the 2025-2026 school year. Representatives from Plano ISD did not respond to a request for an interview Monday.