An Arlington elementary school may close due to dropping enrollment, low academic performance and its deteriorating building.<\/p>\n
Trustees are considering shuttering Blanton Elementary at the end of this school year. They have until the end of January to notify the Texas Education Agency if they decide to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, right now, with the condition of the facility, the declining enrollment and academic performance, we don\u2019t believe we\u2019re creating exceptional experiences for students at Blanton,\u201d Superintendent Matt Smith told trustees Jan. 8.<\/p>\n
A majority of school board members indicated during Thursday\u2019s meeting that they want to explore the possibility further over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Multiple families expressed concerns during the meeting, ranging from challenges with transportation to class sizes to the reasons given for the possible closure.<\/p>\n
Parent Adrienne Cannon said she worried about the effects a closure could have on the community near the school, specifically those who walk to the campus each day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to know what are the steps and what\u2019s being decided, if parents can have input into whatever is being decided going forward,\u201d Cannon told trustees over Zoom.<\/p>\n
Since 2015, the 69-year-old central Arlington school has seen a decline in enrollment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blanton has 458 students enrolled, a drop of about 270 students over the past decade, officials said. The school is at about 55% capacity.<\/p>\n
The declining enrollment is projected to continue over the next 10 years as well, according to a November demographer\u2019s report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Board member Larry Mike wants administrators to keep Blanton\u2019s large Hispanic population in mind as well as those students who are at risk of dropping out of school as the process moves forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWill we ensure that the closure won\u2019t disproportionately harm these groups?\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n Last school year, 89% of Blanton students were Hispanic, while 86% were labeled as at-risk of dropping out, according to TEA data.<\/p>\n Trustee David Wilbanks said moving at-risk students to a more populated school could allow for more resources to be grouped at a campus, leaving a possible silver lining in the move.\u00a0<\/p>\n Smith noted smaller campuses struggle to access resources that students need.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the things that has been on our mind with campuses with declining enrollment,\u201d Smith told Wilbanks.<\/p>\n Blanton has received an F rating<\/a> on Texas academic accountability standards for three years. A public campus failing five consecutive years triggers a state-intervention law, such as the takeover that\u2019s underway in Fort Worth<\/a> and Lake Worth<\/a> schools.<\/p>\n Board president Justin Chapa told parents in the audience that closing the campus instead of waiting for a state takeover would allow them to have more of a say on plans for the future of Blanton and its students.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we are going to close campuses in our district, in the community I care about, I would rather it be us who know each other and not people we do not,\u201d Chapa said.<\/p>\n Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Collins said the campus\u2019s academic performance, which is largely based on how well students perform on STAAR tests, compared to others across the state with similar demographics has declined since 2013.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a third-party assessment of the building\u2019s condition found that the majority of Blanton is in \u201csignificant need of repair in order to uphold our values and meet our expectations,\u201d according to a district report.<\/p>\n Blanton received a new playground, as well as improvements to its heating and air conditioning systems and interior under the 2019 bond program<\/a>.<\/p>\n Steven Seaton-Blanchard, who has two children at the school, suggested to trustees that funds used to pay for the new playground could have been used more effectively to improve student learning.<\/p>\n He worries shuffling students as schools close down will be a slippery slope and lead to overcrowding in classrooms, he said.<\/p>\n Collins said Arlington ISD\u2019s human resources department will ensure campuses receiving students have enough teachers should closures occur.<\/p>\n Employees at Blanton were notified Monday that they have a place in Arlington ISD next year if the plan goes forward, she added.<\/p>\n Chief Operations Officer Michael Hill said administrators would follow the district\u2019s policy that outlines when students receive transportation to and from campuses based on how far they live. That could be adjusted as needed, he noted.<\/p>\n Smith said the district is evaluating other schools that students could be rezoned as well and will provide options to parents next week.<\/p>\n Should Arlington ISD trustees close Blanton, the district would repurpose a 2013 addition to the main building, officials said. No details on what that would entail were discussed.<\/p>\n District officials meet with Blanton families at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 to discuss next steps and provide information about which schools students may be assigned to, Smith said in a statement<\/a> on the elementary\u2019s Facebook page.\u00a0<\/p>\n District officials created a website<\/a> for parents to find more information.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chapa said district leaders may hold a meeting on the topic Jan. 20.<\/p>\n Smith said if the trustees decide to close Blanton, the months leading up to the end of the school year will be spent ensuring students have what they need for the transition.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel very confident in our team that we can ensure every student has their need met at every school,\u201d Smith told the audience.<\/p>\n Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n