Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
La Joya ISD board approves plan to close four campuses, temporarily repurpose JD Salinas
Summary
The La Joya ISD board voted to close Benavides, Pena, Leo and Ann Richards campuses and to temporarily close JD Salinas for redesign into a districtwide career academy middle school, citing academic performance, a 27% enrollment decline and an estimated $27 million for reinvestment.
La Joya Independent School District trustees on Jan. 23 approved administration recommendations to permanently close four campuses before the 2026–27 school year and to temporarily close and redesign JD Salinas Middle School for reopening as a districtwide career academy in 2027–28.
The board’s action followed a presentation from Dr. Little, the district’s executive presenting officer, who said the recommendations are driven by three priorities: raising academic quality, responding to a 27% enrollment decline over the last decade (about 8,000 fewer students), and improving financial sustainability. Dr. Little said the set of school actions could create an estimated $27,000,000 in budgetary room to reinvest in higher-rated campuses and districtwide programs.
Under the approved plan, Benavides Elementary students would be reassigned to Sam Fordyce Elementary. Pena Elementary students would be split between Clinton and Gonzales elementaries along a revised boundary line; Leo Elementary students…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
