A special Leander ISD board meeting was posted for November 12 to vote on the budget for elementary schools 31 and 32, which will close Mason ES and under-enroll other campuses without talking about that consequence, according to Sarah Trawick, a Steiner Ranch mother of two Steiner Ranch Elementary students. She shared a Letter ot the Editor about this quickly added meeting.

Dear Editor,

The recent actions of the Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees have raised serious questions about transparency, timing, and the district’s commitment to meaningful community engagement.

At the most recent board meeting, the district’s demographic study and five-year strategic plan were discussed. During that meeting, it was stated that the newly elected board members would bring fresh perspectives and that the future of Elementary Schools 31 and 32 required further discussion with the incoming board.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting was anticipated to take place November 19, which would give the newly elected trustees an opportunity to participate in these important discussions.

However, a special board meeting has now been scheduled for November 12, with a proposed vote on the budget for Elementary Schools 31 and 32.

This raises an important question: Why the sudden urgency?

If the district previously indicated that these decisions required additional discussion with the incoming board, why is the outgoing board moving forward with a vote just days before the newly elected trustees are scheduled to take their seats?

The financial commitment to two new elementary schools cannot be viewed in isolation. These decisions have potential consequences for existing campuses, including Mason Elementary and other schools that could face closure or consolidation. Families, educators, and surrounding neighborhoods deserve to understand the full impact before major financial and operational decisions are made.

This is not simply a discussion about building two new schools. It is a discussion about the long-term direction of an entire school district and the future of the communities it serves.

When district leadership communicates that important decisions will be revisited with newly elected representatives, only to schedule a special meeting to advance those decisions before that discussion occurs, it naturally raises concerns about the process and the value being placed on community input.

Public trust is built through consistency, transparency, and accountability. That trust becomes especially important when decisions could fundamentally change the schools our children attend and the communities families have invested in.

The LISD community deserves clear answers. Why can this decision not wait until the incoming board has an opportunity to participate? What has changed since the previous meeting? And will the board fully disclose the potential consequences for existing campuses before committing district resources to new construction?

The future of our schools deserves thoughtful consideration, not a rushed process.

The community deserves transparency. Our children deserve thoughtful planning. And our elected representatives deserve the opportunity to participate in decisions that will shape the future of LISD.

Sarah Trawick

Steiner Ranch mother of two Steiner Ranch Elementary students