Goose Creek CISD board approves repurposing of Lamar Elementary after hours of public comment

Goose Creek CISD’s Board of Trustees voted 6–1 on Dec. 16 to approve a plan to repurpose Lamar Elementary, a decision that district officials said is driven by declining enrollment, facility underuse on the district’s south side and an effort to reduce an anticipated budget shortfall.

The board approved a motion “to approve the repurpose of Lamar Elementary as presented tonight,” moved by Mr. Clem and seconded by Miss Guy; the motion passed by a 6–1 vote. Trustees discussed facilities data, staffing plans and next steps before the vote.

District leaders framed the decision around a Feb. 2024 demographic study by PASA and an internal long-range facilities committee called GC 20 35. Kendall David, executive director of community engagement, said the demographic study shows underutilization on the south side and that a districtwide rezoning could affect roughly 4,000–5,000 students (about 18 percent of the district). David said consolidation of a south-side campus would generate about $2.4 million in annual savings and that the district faces a multi-million-dollar deficit this school year.

“The demographic study … is reflective of that,” David said during the presentation. “Ultimately, this is a very difficult decision.”

Facilities staff said the committee compared Lamar with Ashbelle Smith and concluded Lamar was the better-suited campus for repurposing because of layouts, existing restroom access for certain programs and fewer campus modifications needed for the proposed uses. Brenda Garcia, director of facilities planning and construction, told trustees the cost estimate to address deficiencies at Lamar was higher than at Ashbelle Smith but that Lamar’s configuration better fit the programs the district plans to place there.

Officials described the proposed program mix for repurposed Lamar as a combination of upper-grade/high-school programming and early‑childhood services (district staff referred to “ninth through twelfth grade” programming alongside services for ages 0–3). The district also intends to move the alternate/high‑school program currently in an older facility (the Peter E. Highland program) into other updated facilities, including using the old San Jacinto building for that program, officials said.

The presentation included a staffing and transition outline. Matt Bollinger, assistant superintendent for human resources, said there are currently 38 teachers at Lamar who would be affected by consolidation; the district said it intends to avoid layoffs and to reassign employees using vacancies and attrition. The district plans to send a preference survey to Lamar staff on Jan. 6, keep the survey open for about three weeks, follow administrative guidelines (including seniority) in reassignments, conduct typical staffing in March and open the district transfer window April 1. Bollinger said the district’s goal is that “all staff members will retain a job.”

Public comment before the vote was extensive and largely opposed to repurposing. Speakers described Lamar as a long-standing neighborhood school and emphasized potential impacts on students, staff and property values. Stacy Romero, a Lamar teacher and former dyslexia specialist who read remarks submitted by a parent, said that the school made a critical difference for one child: “Lamar saved my son in one day,” Romero read, attributing the sentence to the parent she represented.

Several speakers raised process concerns — including the timing of committee work, notification to staff and families, and whether rezoning alone could resolve capacity problems without closing a school. Gonzalo Espinosa and other speakers said committee members were not given all options and that communications to staff and parents came only after public pressure. Community members also asked for more detailed cost estimates for renovations at Lamar; district staff said they had not completed a full renovation estimate because specific program needs must be defined before final scoping.

Board discussion ranged from procedural objections to districtwide considerations. One trustee said they would vote against the proposal because the district had not produced detailed renovation cost numbers and because they preferred more time for analysis; other trustees said the district faces difficult fiscal choices and that repurposing was one tool to prevent staff layoffs and preserve long-term fiscal stability.

What happens next: if the board’s repurposing is implemented, the district will proceed with rezoning plans and staffing reallocations, start teacher preference surveys Jan. 6, conduct district staffing in March and open the transfer window April 1. District officials said they will provide further details on renovation scope and costs in future planning work.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to repurpose Lamar Elementary as presented: moved by Mr. Clem; seconded by Miss Guy. Outcome: approved, yes 6, no 1.