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Parents, students urge board to keep Fabian Elementary open and keep IB at Vandegrift
Summary
During the citizens' comment period, students and parents urged the Leander ISD board not to close or repurpose Fabian Elementary and urged the district to keep the International Baccalaureate program at Vandegrift High School, citing program value and lack of clear district communication.
Several parents, students and community members used the citizens— comments period on Thursday to urge Leander ISD trustees to preserve Fabian Elementary School and to give clarity and commitments about the district—s International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
Michael, a third grader at Fabian Elementary, told trustees he feels known and supported at his neighborhood school and asked them not to close Fabian. "I'm not just a number walking down the hall," Michael said in his public comment. Other students, including fourth grader Nathan, described counseling supports, quiet spaces (the "Zen Den") and classroom supports such as fidget bins and individualized attention.
Parents framed Fabian as a neighborhood legacy school that will celebrate its 50th year next year, noting programs they said benefit students: PALS, Reading Buddies, QUEST instruction, counselor lessons, IEPs and 504 plans. Ruth (parent) said specific staff members, cited as Ms. Bowman (QUEST teacher) and Ms. Hinojosa (school counselor), extended a program called HabitsLab districtwide; parents said the program had been expanded and produced measurable social-emotional learning benefits.
Lindsay (parent) urged trustees to consider options other than closure, including repurposing a campus into a STEM or magnet school and to weigh financial stewardship questions, saying she found it hard to understand closing existing neighborhood schools while the district plans to open additional elementary campuses.
Several parents and students also asked for more transparency and planning around the future of the district—s IB offerings. Emer O'Doherty said she is a parent of a Vandegrift sophomore and said families need information ahead of year-end decisions. "We really do require some information on the plan from the Leander District on the International Baccalaureate program for our students," she said, adding families had seen only minimal communication since a March 14 message.
Other speakers, including Sylvia Zolfanelli, argued IB interest is growing in Vandegrift's area and said consolidation into a single high school would undo years of investment and certification work and could drive families to other districts.
Why it matters: comments reflect community concern over possible repurposing or consolidation choices tied to enrollment and long-range planning; trustees and staff said they would continue long-range planning work and noted requests for more outreach and transparency.
Who spoke: multiple students and parents including Michael (third-grade student, Fabian Elementary), Nathan (fourth-grade student, Fabian Elementary), Ruth (parent), Lindsay (parent), Emer O'Doherty (parent of Vandegrift student), and Sylvia Zolfanelli (parent).
What happens next: the board did not take action during public comment. Trustees acknowledged the comments and continued the meeting to agenda items including bond and facilities items; staff said they would continue to work on communications and long-range planning.
