A $19 million budget deficit leads three North East Independent School District elementary schools to potential closure.
The NEISD board is set to vote on the proposal to close Dellview Elementary, Montgomery Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary, during it’s Nov. 16 meeting. If the board votes to close the three campuses, the schools would close at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.
Families at Montgomery Elementary told KSAT the schools is great for them and they don’t want it to close.
“It’s good for kids, for the families,” said Maria Ibarra, a Montgomery parent.
Second grade student Lola said she enjoys learning social studies with her friends at Montgomery.
“I would feel very sad,” Lola said about the potential closure.
Her family member Atreyu, who also attends Montgomery, said he would feel the same.
“Sad because I’ve been at this school for a pretty long time,” Atreyu said. “I really do try my best here and I do get good grades here.”
Not only are the academics important to these families, but the class sizes are a direct factor in student performance, according to both the students and parents.
“It’s small. There’s not really that much kids here,” Atreyu said.
Atreyu believes the small class size is beneficial and helps him focus.
“There would be like a lot more distractions if there was more kids,” Atreyu said.
Bryanna Reigel, a Montgomery Elementary parent, said her daughter is a level three non-verbal student and Montgomery has been the best school for her.
“Especially the teachers and the classroom size works for her,” Reigel said.
Reigel walks to drop her daughter off at school and pick her up and also relies on family members.
“Better for [the school] to be here,” Reigel said. “There’s a lot of parents that I see welcoming their kids, grandkids to school and from school. It’s very convenient. I don’t have a license. I don’t have a car.”
According to the NEISD campus efficiency plan, if the board votes to close the three elementary schools, Oak Grove students would move to Regency Place, Montgomery students would move to Windcrest and Dellview students would move to Colonial Hills.
An NEISD spokesperson said bus transportation with be provided for current Dellview and Montgomery students. As for Oak Grove students who could move to Regency Place, the district said because the schools are a few blocks away from each other, transportation would be decided by the district’s usual two-mile radius standard.
“Devastating,” is how Reigel describes the possible closure of Montgomery.
“Not only the kids and the parents with the distance, but the school is a really good school,” Reigel said.
If the board votes to close the schools, the board is exploring repurposing the schools. The current options include a daycare center with reduced rates for NEISD staff and first responders, adult and community education, an event center, career and technical education programs and possibly a discovery learning center for hands-on programs in different careers.
Several NEISD community members shared their frustrations with the proposed closures during a Monday, Nov. 9, school board meeting.
“I hope most of the board will agree and vote no on any closures until the Texas legislative session,” one man who spoke at the meeting said.
Another speaker argued the district should wait to see what the newly elected Senator and Governor have planned before making “rash and knee-jerk decisions.”
According to a presentation from NEISD, closing the three proposed schools would save the district a little over $4 million. The savings would come from “teacher efficiency savings, utilities and other costs and staffing overhead”.
The presentation also said the description of the staffing would include the principal, assistant principal, counselor, nurse, librarian, PE and Music instructors, custodians and others.
The NEISD school board is set to vote on the closures during it’s school board meeting next Monday.
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