McKinney Independent School District trustees voted on Nov. 5 to repurpose Edens, McNeil and Earl and Lottie Wolford elementary schools beginning with the 2026–27 school year after a presentation by the Educational Facilities Alignment Committee and a district administration recommendation.

The decision followed a more than two-hour public-comment period dominated by parents, teachers and community members who urged the board to delay or reverse the recommendation, saying Wolford Elementary is high-performing and hosts specialized programs that would be difficult to move. "I'm angry and heartbroken that 3 schools in this district will be closed," parent Lauren Simpson said during public comment.

District leaders, including Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Dennis Womack, said the recommendation is driven by sustained underenrollment in the southwest quadrant and by multi-year budget pressures. "We've operated on a deficit budget for the past five years," Womack told the board, noting a prior deficit peak the administration described as $23,000,000 and asserting that repurposing underutilized facilities is necessary to preserve district programs.

Will Cobb, speaking for the Educational Facilities Alignment Committee, described a multi-step, data-driven process that included a third-party facilitator, multiple committees and an Oct. 21 open house with hundreds of attendees. The committee recommended repurposing three elementary campuses and presenting boundary maps for board approval and implementation in 2026 and 2027.

Deputy Superintendent Melanie Raleigh acknowledged the emotional impact of repurposing and said the district will provide transition support: "We are going to walk this path with you every step of the way," she said. Raleigh and other administrators said the district has transition plans for specialized programs and will coordinate receiving and sending campuses to minimize disruption.

Alana Chisholm, assistant superintendent for human resources, outlined staff protections the district says will accompany any repurposing: a district job-placement guarantee for displaced staff, a "hold harmless" provision to protect employees' base salary during transitions, and opportunities for staff input. Chisholm gave the following timetable for personnel steps: an employee-preference form will be issued on Nov. 14, will remain open through Jan. 5, and some placement notifications are scheduled for Feb. 20 and April 10.

Many speakers focused on Wolford Elementary, citing the campus’s recent facility refresh, high academic distinctions and its role hosting developmental social-skills and structured-teaching classrooms. "When the district asked Wolford to take on the DISC program, we accepted the challenge," a Wolford PTA board member said, warning that moving the program now "could put students in harm's way." Several commenters said EFAC's selection appeared to depart from the five criteria the committee had been given.

Tom Klein, a public commenter, alleged the alignment committee's membership excluded some MISD taxpayers who are not parents and suggested that could violate Texas Education Code Section 11.251. District staff disputed that interpretation: Assistant Superintendent Womack said the committee followed board policy (BDF) and explained Chapter 11 relates to campus and district improvement plans rather than the committee structure used for facility alignment.

A motion to approve the committee's recommendation was made, seconded and put to the board. Trustees voted in favor by voice; the chair announced "motion carries." The transcript contains no roll-call vote by trustee name.

Next steps outlined by the administration include continued community communication during the rezoning process, cabinet and department visits to each affected campus, counseling support for students, and the staff-placement process described by HR. The board did not set a new date to revisit the decision; the repurposing takes effect for the 2026–27 school year as stated in the recommendation.

The board and administration said they will publish boundary proposals and continue public engagement as the district finalizes plans for student placements and specialized-program locations.