Arlington ISD parents and community members will soon have the chance to inform trustees’ future decisions — including those centered on potentially closing schools.
The application period for a range of resident-led committees opened for the 2026-27 school year. The list includes new committees, including a group focusing on the future of district facilities and another on the use of technology in classrooms.
Board President Sarah McMurrough said she hopes residents will consider applying for the committees to engage with what is happening in the district.
“The last thing we want to do is be reactive to the changes that we are needing to pivot with,” McMurrough said. “We want to take a proactive approach to the trends we are seeing and be able to make major decisions in partnership with our caring community members.”
Eight committees currently have open applications.
What committees can you apply for now?
Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for the 2026 Bond
Community Ambassadors Academy
District Level Instructional Decision-Making
Instructional Calendar Committee
Long Range Facilities Planning Committee
School Health Advisory Council
School Library Advisory Council
Technology Advisory Council
You can apply for a spot on any of the committees at this link.
Each advisory committee will bring recommendations to trustees for consideration. The committees will not have decision-making power. Applications will close at the end of the month.
The Long Range Facilities Planning Committee may have the most work ahead as the district deals with declining enrollment and aging infrastructure.
Enrollment projections from two demographers show Arlington ISD dropping from roughly 50,000 students to 45,000 by 2030 — a 10% decrease.
Related coverage: As enrollment declines, Arlington ISD leaders signal potential school closures
The latest round of projections showed some campuses could fall below 50% functional capacity, prompting some trustees to say AISD needs to consider school consolidation or closures.
Superintendent Matt Smith teed up the committee as trustees evaluated the projections and data in May.
“That’s a discussion that has to happen over the next eight months, so that we can get things underway because it doesn’t all happen overnight,” Smith said at the time. “From that point, it’s going to be a multiyear process based on the data that we have here in front of us.”
Residents on the committee will be expected to walk through the data projections of both enrollment and campus usage, Chief Operations Officer Michael Hill said.
The buildings’ condition will also play a role. In January, trustees voted to close Blanton Elementary partly over roughly $35 million in estimated repairs.
Hill, who is overseeing the committee, said members will look over quite a lot of data.
“That’s by design to give them a full picture of what some of the challenges are that we’re facing,” Hill said.
McMurrough said her hope is that the committee will help create a future vision of how the district’s facilities support the student experience and how trustees can remain responsible for taxpayers’ dollars.
“It’s not simply about buildings,” McMurrough said. “It’s about making sure our investments and resources can support the student experience we want for our kids in Arlington ISD.”
Hill said he believes the committee can help with awareness and address declining enrollment and aging infrastructure.
“All of those things, and possibly something that we haven’t thought about yet that the community may see as options or opportunities for,” Hill said.
In his 14 years with the district, Hill said there hasn’t been a committee focusing on the long-term plan for facilities. He said he’s glad trustees are taking proactive steps to get the community involved.
“We go to the community when we are asking for things, i.e., bonds,” Hill said. “So we continue to go to the community when we have challenges and try to continue that partnership.”
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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