Parents push back as Grapevine-Colleyville ISD considers closing elementary schools amid enrollment drop
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District parents packed a board meeting Monday night to push back against potential elementary school closures.
The district recently shared seven proposals with families, each involving closing one or two campuses. Schools named in the scenarios include Dove, Colleyville, Bear Creek, Bransford and Glen Hope.
Many parents said they felt blindsided.
"It's become more than just a school — it's a gathering place, a source of community," one parent told board members, pausing as she fought back tears.
Courtney Fray, who has a third grader at Dove Elementary, said the possibility of losing her daughter's school caught her off guard.
"I was shocked, really, because we weren't prepared for this," Fray said. "Everybody else is closing elementary schools. I want GCISD to be the district that people look at and say, 'They did something different.'"
District leaders said enrollment at some campuses has dropped as much as 75%. They cited low enrollment, budget shortfalls, aging neighborhoods and school vouchers as factors driving the discussion.
Parent Lindsey Pulido told trustees she worries about the impact on her son, who was diagnosed with ADHD and is in his second year at Dove.
"Although the school district is aware of his diagnosis, he's the type of student that changes. Very upsetting," Pulido said. "Especially if they close the school. I would be looking at vouchers in a different school."
The district stressed no final decisions have been made. The GCISD Planning Committee says it will present recommendations to the Board of Trustees later this fall.