HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Alief Independent School District is asking the community to help reconfigure how it operates following nine consecutive years of declining enrollment.
The initiative, which the district calls “School Optimization,” has yet to take shape, officials say.
“Anything is on the table as a potential opportunity,” Alief ISD Deputy Superintendent Charles Woods said at a recent community meeting.
The district says that could include campus closures, consolidations, expanding or creating programs, rezoning, and more.
Alief ISD is holding six community meetings to gather ideas from community members.
One meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at Olle Middle School on Boone Road, and the next is Oct. 29 at Killough Middle School on Synott Road.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Woods said of the district’s collaborative effort.
To illustrate the situation facing Alief ISD, he said that 11 of its 24 elementary schools are currently under 50% capacity.
He said Alief ISD’s attendance is currently at its lowest point since the 1995-1996 school year.
ABC13 has reported that most Harris County districts are dealing with similar issues due to factors like school choice and shifts in where families choose to live.
The district says it’s facing “budget pressures” from lower funding due to decreased attendance and a higher cost of living.
“How do we make the resources work the best for our students in our community with the resources we have today,” Woods asked in that recent meeting. “And what does that look like for everybody tomorrow?”
The district says it expects to present prioritized scenarios in January, with the school board set to vote on any potential changes on Feb. 4.
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