Aldine ISD’s school board expects to vote in February on whether to close seven schools, as the district continues to face budget issues brought on by declining enrollment and no major increases in state funding.
District administrators recommended during a board workshop Tuesday that trustees close two early education campuses, four elementary schools and a middle school ahead of the 2025-26 school year. Administrators said the campuses were chosen after considering numerous factors, including current enrollment size, student demographics, building issues and academic ratings.
The vote will mark the second year in a row that leaders in Aldine, the Houston region’s sixth-largest district, will decide whether to shutter some of its roughly 75 campuses. The district’s board of trustees voted in February 2024 to close three elementary schools and send students to nearby campuses for the current school year.
The latest proposal comes as part of the district’s plan to “optimize” its facilities by closing lower-enrollment schools and sending students attending those campuses to schools with available space. Most of the campuses recommended for closure rank among the smallest schools in Aldine.