DALLAS \u2014 The list of Texas public school districts closing campuses will continue to grow, with Arlington Independent School District now joining the trend.<\/p>\n
The Board of Trustees with Arlington ISD unanimously voted on Tuesday night to close one campus, Blanton Elementary School, at the end of this school year.<\/p>\n
According to Arlington ISD\u2019s website<\/a>, Blanton Elementary struggled with declining enrollment in recent years, the upkeep of a 69-year-old facility and a low accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency.<\/a><\/p>\n Enrollment at Blanton has dropped by close to 300 students since 2016. Arlington ISD officials said they prioritize \u201cMaximized Resources,\u201d meaning they want both faculty and financial resources on Arlington ISD campuses where the largest possible number of students can utilize them.<\/p>\n In addition, officials said partial renovations over almost 70 years since the school\u2019s opening won\u2019t be enough to sustain a modern learning environment. A report on the Blanton facility\u2019s condition found that, in 2025, 58% of repairs would need to be made to the structure to meet \u201cadequacy assessment standards\u201d for the district. That percentage has only increased since 2018, when about 33% of repairs needed to be made to uphold learning standards.<\/p>\n Blanton Elementary has also received an “F” rating from the TEA for the past three years. The TEA annually evaluates<\/a> each public school and district in Texas from A-F, based on various factors of academic performance. If a school receives an “F” rating for five consecutive years, under state law, TEA could step in and take over the district. This would mean a state-appointed board would govern the district for at least two years.<\/p>\n