Dozens of parents, students and community leaders urged the Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday to abandon proposed school consolidations and pursue alternatives such as open enrollment and new revenue streams.

Speakers cited the potential impact on walkability, campus culture and staff retention, and asked trustees to delay irreversible actions while the district explores other options.

The public comment period opened with instructions from the presiding officer that 47 individuals had signed up to speak and that each speaker’s time was reduced to 60 seconds because of the large number of commenters. Students, parents and community organizers used their minutes to press trustees on specific campuses and to present petitions and letters in opposition to closures.

Cecily, a fourth‑grader at Cypress Elementary, told the board, “I’m here because I don’t want Cypress to close,” and said she valued walking to school and the school’s performing‑arts offerings. Other students and parents echoed the themes of neighborhood access and program loss: “Please don’t close Cypress,” Marlene Eaves, a fourth‑grader at Cypress, told trustees. A parent asked why the professional development building was being prioritized during a budget crisis and noted the district’s estimate that closing Cypress would save about $600,000 compared with a small‑school model.

Community organizers presented materials to trustees. A speaker representing a neighborhood coalition said they collected 2,576 petition signatures and delivered 148 letters from residents opposing the closures. Multiple speakers described long campaigns to recruit and retain students at campuses targeted for consolidation, urged the board to let open enrollment have time to work, and asked trustees to require more transparency in the district’s financial analysis before approving closures.

Speakers named several campuses repeatedly: Cypress Elementary, Steiner Ranch Elementary (SRE), Fabian Elementary and other neighborhood schools. Comments emphasized consequences beyond dollars: repeated moves for students, loss of school culture, and potential safety impacts from increased bus transportation if walkable campuses are closed.

Speakers also urged trustees to investigate alternatives such as outsourcing payroll, selling ad space on district assets, and other revenue‑generating ideas. One parent urged trustees to “make sure every potential revenue generating and cost saving measure is fully vetted and transparently considered,” saying outsourcing payroll alone could save “10 to $12 million annually.”

Board members thanked speakers and moved to closed session later in the meeting; no votes on consolidations were taken during the public comment period. Trustees and staff later discussed other related agenda items, including transfer policy changes and long‑range planning.

The public comment period and the materials delivered to the board make it clear opposition to closures is widespread and organized; multiple speakers asked for a pause while the district explores open‑enrollment strategies and other less disruptive budget options.