The Coppell school board voted to close the district's oldest elementary school Monday night. Trustees voted 4-3 to close Pinkerton Elementary after a meeting lasting almost five hours.
Fifty-eight parents, students and former students signed up to speak against closing the school.
"Closing the school is not just going to be about budget cuts. It'll be about erasing a legacy. This school has stood as a beacon of learning for decades," a former student said.
"The impact of any school closure and consolidation will emanate throughout our children and stay with them for the rest of their lives," a parent said.
Superintendent Brad Hunt said the district needed to take action to avoid staff cuts, increased class sizes and no raises for teachers.
"These are very tough decisions, hard decisions," Superintendent Brad Hunt said. "But as you can see, we're at a point where we've got to be able to move forward, and now is the time to take action."
Coppell ISD is facing a $6.8 million budget shortfall for the current year. The district hopes closing Pinkerton after this school year will save $2.1 million.
During Monday's meeting, the district laid out enrollment projections. Coppell ISD expects to lose 550 elementary students over the next three years. The district says that drop in enrollment could lead to $4.5 million less state funding in 2028.
Since 2019, the state's basic allotment for schools has remained $6,160 per student. The teachers' union, Texas AFT, says that number would need to increase by $1,200 to match inflation.
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