CFB ISD presents facilities master plan recommending consolidation of four campuses to cut empty seats and save up to $9 million

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD trustees on Feb. 6 reviewed a facilities master plan that recommends consolidating three elementary campuses and one middle school, adjusting attendance zones and repurposing the vacated sites to reduce excess capacity and preserve district finances.

Superintendent Dr. Eldridge said the plan responds to two consecutive deficit budgets and a capacity study showing large numbers of empty seats districtwide: "For the last 2 years in 2023 and 2024, we have adopted deficit budgets," he said, adding that 24 of 34 schools are operating at about 75% capacity or less. Assistant Superintendent/operations presenter Mister Blackburn walked trustees through the consultant-backed recommendations and the demographic analysis conducted by PASA.

The plan recommends consolidating Ferneau Elementary, McCoy Elementary and Central Elementary and consolidating Long Middle School. District presenters said the changes would reduce more than 2,300 empty seats and could yield first-year savings of up to $9,000,000 by lowering operating costs and reducing the need for temporary swing-space such as portables at campuses undergoing renovation. Blackburn told the board the district could avoid between $2.5 million and $3 million in portable-related costs at R. L. Turner if swing space is available through repurposed campuses.

The draft attendance-zone maps staff presented would move McCoy students to Good, Blanton or Carrollton and relocate the LEAP program to Landry; Central students would move to Carrollton or McLaughlin Strickland; Long middle school students would be rezoned to Bell or Polk. Staff said most attendance zones have not been adjusted in more than 20 years and that rezoning is necessary to balance utilization and transportation efficiency.

Human-resources staff (Lance Hamlin, assistant superintendent for human resources) told the board the district will attempt to place all affected staff in CFB positions and will issue a staff survey after a final board decision. District registration and transfer staff outlined plans to notify affected families by personalized letters, ParentSquare messages and principal outreach; family information sessions for affected communities were scheduled for mid-February.

Several parents and students spoke during audience for guests. Krish, identified as a third grader at McCoy, said, "I love my school ... I feel safe." Parents representing McCoy's LEAP program urged the board to preserve that program in a neighborhood setting; Sarah Amand, speaking for LEAP families, said moving LEAP to Landry raised concerns about commute distance, campus performance and retention of families in the program. Other speakers warned of potential neighborhood impacts on property values and community identity if high-performing neighborhood schools close.

District staff emphasized these are recommendations the board will study through March; Dr. Eldridge said the official board vote on any consolidations is scheduled for March 6. Trustees asked questions about the financial modeling, use of vacated campuses for temporary swing space during construction and the criteria used by the Facility Planning Advisory Group (condition/adequacy, cost for quality, location and utilization).