The Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) is facing a significant decline in enrollment, leading to discussions about potential school closures and consolidations.
AISD has outlined a 5-step guideline for consolidating elementary campuses, aiming to achieve a target enrollment of 500-550 students per campus. Schools with less than 300 students are currently on a watchlist for potential closure or pairing with another school. Factors such as accountability ratings, geographical distance, and special programs will be considered in the decision-making process.
Superintendent Doug Loomis emphasized that the district's primary concern is the well-being of students and the community. While recognizing the challenges posed by declining enrollment, AISD remains committed to maintaining a balanced budget and providing quality education to its students.
“Our schools are a reflection of our community, and every decision you make, you have to ask the question, ‘Is this good for kids?’ And we’re really clear, we make mistakes every day, and there are things that we need to do better, but we always start with the premise of, ‘Are we doing what’s right for kids?’ and ‘Are we doing what’s best for the community?’” Loomis said.
The potential closure of schools raises concerns about the impact on the community and the future use of vacant buildings. Loomis expressed hope for collaborative efforts between the district, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to repurpose these facilities and ensure their continued vitality.
“I recognize what happens when a school shuts its door. It’s bad when a business closes its door, it’s bad when you have empty housing, but that’s exponential when it’s a school. So, at some point in this as a community, I hope that wherever those consolidations happen, we’re able to come together as a community and ask the question between a government and private entity, what can we do with these empty school buildings? What can we do to make sure they’re vital and they’re vibrant, and they’re providing service for what’s happening in our community? But for that to happen, it’s got to be more than the school district. It has to be the nonprofits. It has to be the entrepreneurs. It has to be those people who can help fund those things. It’ll take all of us to make that happen,” Loomis said.
Dr. Ray Perryman, a Texas economic research expert, identified several contributing factors to this decline, including lower birth rates, an aging population, and the limited availability of affordable homes in Potter County.
“I think it’s the option they really have to consider at this point in time, because there’s simply too many facilities, not enough students, and that leads to having to maintain extra buildings, having people scattered, having staff issues. There’s just a lot of things that go with that. And I think given the situation and given what it’s likely to be in the future, I think that’s certainly an option that needs a lot of consideration and appears to be the best option going forward,” Perryman said.
