Spring ISD board approves plan to close two elementary campuses amid public opposition
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Summary
Trustees voted to adopt district optimization scenarios that will close Link Elementary and Do It Elementary at the end of the 2025–26 school year after public speakers and some trustees raised concerns about consultant data and community outreach.
The Spring Independent School District Board of Trustees on Dec. 9 adopted an optimization plan that includes closing Link Elementary and Do It Elementary at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year.
Trustee Adams moved the measure, citing declining enrollment and budgetary pressures facing the district; Trustee McDaniel seconded. After discussion and public comment the board voted, and President Durant announced the motion carried with five members in favor.
The decision followed two hours of public participation in which parents and community members urged the trustees to reject the consultant’s recommendations. "They recommend closures without offering real accountable solutions," said Laura Chavez, a parent and community advocate, who told the trustees she had collected more than 353 signatures opposing campus closures and asked the board to "choose a community over a consultant." Casper Guevara, another parent, urged the board to gather more direct, paper‑based feedback from families at affected campuses instead of relying only on digital surveys.
Several trustees expressed the difficulty of the decision. Trustee Adams said the move was "a painful decision" but necessary to regain fiscal stability for "all 33,000 of our students." Doctor Liz Jensen said she had outstanding questions about data and survey participation and asked for more time to examine the calculations and community engagement related to the consultant's findings.
District staff and trustees referenced more than one survey effort, including an earlier district survey and a later consultant survey; administration emphasized that the consultant's analysis was not the sole basis for the board’s action. The board did not adopt any amendments that night.
The motion as adopted directs the district to implement the selected optimization scenarios; trustees did not specify detailed transition steps during the vote. The board’s public materials indicate the closures would take effect at the end of the 2025–26 school year.
What happens next: district staff and trustees said they will consider additional community engagement and implementation details in the coming months, including supports for students and families affected by the campus changes.