Lufkin ISD votes to close 2 elementary schools
Posted/updated on: February 24, 2025 at 3:28 am
UPDATE: On Thursday, Lufkin ISD unanimously voted to shut down Coston Elementary and Kurth Primary during a school board meeting.
LUFKIN – More than 500 students may soon need to find new schools as the Lufkin ISD school board will decide this week whether to close two elementary schools, according to our news partner KETK.
In September 2024, the district established the Future Facilities Advisory Committee, to assess facilities and educational needs. It has since conducted reviews of all facilities in the district including “campus enrollments, building capacity, condition, usage, programs and educational programs offered on each campus.”
The district has seen a steady decline in student enrollment, with 1,600 fewer students enrolled in 2024 compared to 2013. After analyzing the data, the committee recommended several actions, with the top suggestion being the closure of Coston Elementary and Kurth Primary.
“With a declining enrollment, the ability of the district to financially sustain all campuses is in question,” Lufkin ISD said. “Potentially consolidating and rightsizing would allow for Lufkin ISD students to learn in facilities with more managed upkeep, and even added special programs.”
The district said enrollment could be declining due to new houses built in Lufkin, aging neighborhoods and school choice.
Among other outcomes is a future bond proposal, supported by the committee, that would focus on renovations, repairs and upgrades for district-wide facilities.
At a Tuesday workshop, the board discussed potential outcomes for the upcoming vote. If the campuses were to shut down, students attending Coston Elementary will have to choose between Brandon and Slack elementaries. Children in Kurth Primary will get to choose between Trout Elementary and Burley Primary.
The district said parents will be immediately notified once a decision is made on Thursday.
As for staffing, the district said until a decision is made regarding facilities, they cannot tell what staffing changes will be made. A staffing study has been ordered and results are expected in early spring.
“The staffing audit will help us determine best practices for the number of staff needed in comparison to other districts similar to us,” Lufkin ISD said.
