Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD presents campus consolidation plan; parents urge pause over McCoy Elementary proposal

District leaders from Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFB ISD) briefed Carrollton City Council Feb. 18 on a facilities and demographic review that recommends consolidating four campuses to address declining enrollment and repeated budget deficits. The district said the proposal would affect Central Elementary, Verno Elementary, McCoy Elementary and Long Middle School.

Randy Schackman, board chair, and Chris Moore, assistant superintendent of operations, told council the district commissioned a capacity study and a facilities master plan, and then updated demographic forecasts using Texas Education Agency (TEA) snapshot data from fall 2024. Moore said the district’s studies show roughly 9,800 unfilled student seats across the district, a 4.7% enrollment decline over five years, and a 10-year forecast projecting roughly a 1,100-student drop if trends continue. The district also reported adopting two consecutive deficit budgets and an aggregate deficit of about $28 million, which it said informed the recommendation.

Moore described the process used: the facilities-planning advisory group — a community committee convened by principals and made up of teachers, staff, parents and business partners — helped craft selection…