Gadsden superintendent recommends consolidating Berino Elementary amid projected budget shortfall

Superintendent Dempsey of Gadsden Independent Schools recommended consolidating Berino Elementary at a community meeting, saying the district faces declining enrollment and uncertain state funding that could create a budget shortfall as soon as next year.

Dempsey told the assembled parents and staff that district enrollment has fallen from about 13,120 to roughly 11,300 over the past seven years and that state “unit value” funding — the per‑student revenue the district receives — is not likely to rise enough to offset that decline. “Our budget at the end of the day is tied to enrollment,” he said.

The recommendation is part of a broader “right‑sizing” plan Dempsey said the board requested. He said the district will reassign Berino students to nearby campuses (North Valley, Vado and Gadsden Elementary were discussed as receiving campuses) if the board approves consolidation. He also noted ongoing facility work: a middle school reconstruction will create a sixth‑grade STEM academy and shift…