Spring Branch ISD votes to close 2 schools and end charter programs to address $35M budget deficit

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Spring Branch ISD parents at five campuses are now scrambling to figure out what the next school year will look like for their children. This comes after trustees voted Monday to close down two schools and end their charter programs, all in an effort to address a $35 million budget shortfall.

Chris Gonzalez, who has a son at KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School, was at the meeting. She described the emotional response from parents and students after hearing the results.

"I was gutted. Tears were streaming down my face," Gonzalez said. "There were quite a few high school students in particular who were there to speak and support each other. They were all sobbing. Everyone was hugging each other."

RELATED: Parents plead Spring Branch ISD to save charter school programs during budget cut meeting

The board voted 6-1 to close down Treasure Forest Elementary and Panda Path School for Early Learning for the 2024-2025 school year.

According to the 2021-2022 Texas Academic Performance Report, Treasure Forest has a 90.2% Hispanic student population, and 97% of students are economically disadvantaged. Panda Path has a 95% Hispanic student population and 96.9% of its students are economically disadvantaged.

The decision also ends their KIPP Courage and Yes Prep charter partnerships at Landrum Middle, Northbrook Middle, and Northbrook High Schools for the next school year. Officials project these budget reduction measures will amount to $8.8 million in annual savings.

In the last round of cuts in November, which amounted to $2.9 million, trustees voted to change staffing ratios for high schools, increase Pre-K tuition, and pause rebuilds for four remaining elementary schools under the 2017 bond.

Spring Branch ISD has been grappling all year with how to address the deficit. District officials say inflation has driven up their costs, and they haven't received any additional public funding from the state since 2019.

Parents have pleaded for months to save their children's schools, even packing into district headquarters last month and causing the board meeting to shut down due to fire hazard concerns.

RELATED: Spring Branch ISD board meeting shut down after hundreds packed into administration building

"Our Board of Trustees and administration take very seriously what closing schools and ending long-standing programs means for our students, families, staff, and community," board president Chris Earnest wrote in part of a statement from Spring Branch ISD.

"The blame lies squarely with our state leaders and elected officials who have failed the children of Texas and SBISD," he said. "We remain angry and disappointed that throughout the 88th Legislative Session and four subsequent special sessions, individuals elected to represent us could not pass a single piece of legislation to provide much-needed funding for our public schools."

READ MORE: 'Enough is enough': Spring Branch ISD protests recapture payment to state, urges for more funding

Gonzalez empathized with the board, which was faced with making what she called "difficult decisions," as she had previously served as a trustee for 12 years. However, she feels frustrated and believes that the district made its decision too quickly and didn't give stakeholders a chance to propose other options.

"If you can't reach an agreement, that's a very different situation. But if you're never going to come to the table to consider solutions, then they feel like an afterthought and don't feel heard. If they don't feel heard, they have a really hard time believing everything that's been told to them. That's how you build trust," Gonzalez said.

Spring Branch ISD said students at impacted schools will be rezoned to other nearby campuses. They will also have the option to apply for the district's Choice programs, such as dual language and international studies.

More budget cuts are expected to come, largely from personnel reductions in their central office. A district spokesperson said there will be a meeting for KIPP Courage and YES Prep parents to discuss their options after the closures.

For more information, visit SBISD's Closing the Budget Gap 2024-25 website.

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