CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Dozens of parents filled the room Thursday night at a CCISD community input session, speaking out against a proposal to consolidate seven schools across the city.
“It’s still not fair to the parents that stay in their community and it’s not fair to the grandparents that are having to raise their kids,” one parent said.
Another added, “We all want our kids to be in great schools, new schools. But I think we all want schools in our neighborhood too.”
For district leaders, closing schools is not a choice but a necessity. KRIS 6 News previously reported on CCISD's $27.5 million deficit which has caused the district to propose these closures. And the reason behind the decision? District leaders said declining enrollment, reduced state funding, and aging buildings have made some campuses too expensive to maintain are the contributing factors. Several schools under consideration are currently operating at 30%-40% capacity, leaving the district with unused space and rising operational costs.
“The school is the heart of the community. So when you close the school, the community starts to die,” said a local teacher during the meeting.
City Manager Peter Zanoni, who attended Thursday’s session, questioned the district’s timing in addressing the financial shortfall.
“Why is the district just now working on that?” he asked.
Deputy Superintendent for Business and Support Services Karen Griffith explained that the board had been waiting to see if state legislation would provide additional funding, but it did not. The district had also anticipated an increase of about 1,000 students that did not materialize.
KRIS 6 News spoke with district leaders earlier this week to understand what prompted the current proposal. Officials say consolidating the schools could save the district an estimated $11 million, freeing resources to improve remaining campuses.
“How do we ignore that when it’s costing us a lot to run these facilities?” said Dr. Sandra Clement, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. “Also one of the reasons is that we’re spending a lot on schools that are not paying for themselves with the number of students that are in them.”
Teachers raised concerns about job security and class sizes. District leaders reassured them that no jobs would be lost and that classrooms at receiving schools have space to accommodate incoming students.
“We’re very much in a discovery phase right now,” Clement added, emphasizing that the district is still gathering feedback and exploring options.
School leaders stress that Thursday night’s discussion does not represent a final decision. The district plans to continue hosting community input meetings through January, culminating in a final Board discussion on January 12, 2026.
Parents and community members who want more information or answers to frequently asked questions about the proposed school consolidations can visit the district’s dedicated page at CCISD School Consolidation Feedback.
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