By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
The Leander ISD Board of Trustees voted not to consolidate Steiner Ranch Elementary for the 2026-2027 school year at a special meeting on December 17. While SRE was spared, the board did approve the consolidation of Faubion Elementary for the next school year, a first for the district.
“This evening’s vote is the beginning of an amazing opportunity for the Vandegrift feeder pattern. Innovative programming, open enrollment and new ways of thinking about public education are our future if we choose to be active participants,” said Rachel Lilla, SRE parent. “The district listened to our requests and hopefully our community chooses to partner with them for an amazing future. At the same time, we feel heartbreak for our friends at Faubion and their loss. They are a dedicated community and we hope they know our thoughts are with them.”
The board passed a resolution on Wednesday seeking from the administration a more comprehensive look at how to deal with lower enrollment not only at the elementary schools in the southern portion of the district but at Canyon Ridge and Four Points middle schools as well.
Also the board wants to give the newly approved open enrollment an honest try, as well as the possibility of piloting other opportunities like an Innovation Academy. Several board members questioned why SRE was under consideration to be consolidated with Laura W. Bush and River Ridge elementaries and why the other Steiner schools were not considered. Initially there it was proposed that SRE could offer a paid pre-K but the state won’t allow that.
“This is a huge victory for us. I am so surprised as we went into this meeting with only a glimmer of hope. It feels very validating that our concerns were finally realized and acknowledged,” shared Kaycee Parker, SRE PTA president. “The fact that they are on board to allow open enrollment to work to boost our numbers is a huge step in the right direction.”
“I’m grateful for the pivot, admittedly unexpected,” said Heather Seitz Tankersley, after the meeting.
The board is faced with a more than $12 million budget shortfall and declining enrollment. For many months now, discussions have been ongoing about how to address these issues.
Last week during its December 11 meeting, the board of trustees approved the two thresholds to as guidance on next steps.
- Threshold 1: Campuses that fall below 500 students will trigger the low-enrollment Phase 1 model, which includes adjusting staff levels and implementing mitigation strategies to prevent further decline. Based on current enrollment projections, Block House Creek, Cox, Cypress, Giddens, Grandview Hills, Naumann and Westside elementaries are under this threshold.
- Threshold 2: Campuses that fall below 400 students will trigger the low-enrollment Phase 2 model, which includes a formal review process for potential consolidation. Based on current enrollment projections, Faubion, River Ridge and Steiner Ranch elementaries are under this threshold.
Steiner Ranch has 382 students enrolled, River Ridge has 347 and Grandview Hills has 400. Laura W. Bush has 502 students enrolled and River Place has 523, according to Crestina Hardie, chief communications officer at LISD.
The vote on thresholds last week fueled a large turn out from Steiner Elementary at the December 17 meeting. There were an estimated 150 people at this week’s meeting. At the beginning public comment period of the meeting and prior to the vote, some 50 speakers shared comments. Most of the speakers were from SRE and shared their concerns about the proposed consolidation and closures.
At the end of the meeting Leander ISD board of trustees approved the consolidation of Faubion Elementary with Westside Elementary and directed administration to implement a transition plan for 2026 to 2027.
The motion passed 5 to 2.
Citizen comments
Anne Witt, SRE teacher and parent to three sons who were Stallions, shared during the public comment portion of the meeting:
Since May—when we were shocked to learn our school was targeted for closure—it has felt like one stomach punch after another. With a target on our backs, our families and staff have been forced into survival mode, advocating not just for our school, but for fairness in how this decision was made.
The landscape has changed. The tuition-based Pre-K plan is no longer viable, mitigation strategies like open enrollment are now in place—yet the district has been unwilling to reconsider.
We are pleading with you to listen. Have a discussion tonight about what is truly the right thing to do.
Closing SRE next year saves only about $700,000—less than one percent of the budget. That won’t meaningfully fix the problem, but it will permanently damage a strong school community. Please give open enrollment time to work and allow us to grow enrollment through targeted outreach.
Use next year to fully engage all three school communities, carefully review the data, conduct traffic studies, and develop a thoughtful, comprehensive plan for which school, if any, should close—and how the many details that deeply affect our families and staff will be handled. That is the only fair way forward.
Thank you for listening
Kaycee Parker shared during the public comment portion of the meeting:
Good Evening. You have heard our arguments over and over again. We are newly renovated. The cost savings will not be as high once maintaining the building and re-renovating it are considered. Open Enrollment can save us. We are a thriving community. And yet, the Board is being asked to abandon this school without a roadmap. There is no concrete plan. We have been given no information on where our students go, or what specifically happens to our building. Long-range planning requires complete information, yet the district is rushing a decision while failing to apply its own standards consistently across this district consolidation may still be needed in the future, but pushing this specific choice now—without considering all South area alternatives—is an irreversible mistake. We are asking for one year. Give us the opportunity to let Open Enrollment work and generate the revenue this district needs. Do not trade a renovated, high-performing asset for an empty liability. Let’s choose a plan driven by logic, not just by a deadline.
