The school board voted Tuesday to blend Valley View Elementary (VVE) and Barton Creek Elementary (BCE) and to discontinue the Spanish Immersion (SI) program that is currently at six out of seven elementary schools for the 2025-26 school year.
The decision comes now to provide time for administration to look at contracts, staffing needs and other adjustments for the 2025-26 school year.
The blending of VVE and BCE and discontinuation of SI were initially suggested during the Budget Workshop Nov. 11, 2024 as an option to increase savings to combat the projected $6.3 million deficit in 2025-26, resulting primarily from a lack of state funding and decrease in enrollment.
The decision involved emotional discussions, and the board expressed they are sorry for the closure of VVE and discontinuation of SI. Thirty-nine parents and students, who were or are involved in VVE or SI, signed up to speak in the open forum Tuesday where they shared their concerns and continued to advocate for the continuation of VVE and SI.
“Valley View and Barton Creek are more than schools,” board president James Spradley said. “They are vibrant communities that represent years of relationships, traditions and academic success. I know this conversation weighs heavily on all of us because we care deeply about the education of our children.”
Blending VVE into BCE elementary, with adjustments to the campus to accommodate for extra students, is projected to yield $2 million in savings while prioritizing “financial stability and maintaining the exceptional level of education we expect for every student,” according to Spradley. The motion to blend VVE with BCE passed 7-0.
“Keeping underutilized elementary schools open is an inefficient use of resources,” Spradley said. “By consolidating campuses, we can reduce cost and reinvest those savings into core instructional programs that directly impact student learning. This isn’t just about balancing the budget, it’s about protecting what makes Eanes one of the top districts in the state.”
Closing VVE has been proposed in the past due to a decline in enrollment. VVE’s 275 enrolled students lag significantly behind the other five elementary schools that each have over 500 students currently enrolled. VVE currently uses just over 50% of its campus capacity of 546 students, while BCE currently has 517 students enrolled and a total student capacity of 819.
Parents at BCE and VVE have expressed concern about the blending of the two schools and potential issues with larger class sizes and overcrowding.
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett “believes with a very high degree of certainty” that the number of students at the blended campus will remain under 700 students. However, adjustments will still need to be made to the school to accommodate for the blended campus, including adding portable learning studios and not admitting new out-of-district transfers to BCE.
“We are committed to involving stakeholders, staff and families in this transition, acknowledging that it is emotional, while communicating regularly about developments, changes and challenges within the plan,” Dr. Arnett said.
Administration addressed that, with the closure of VVE, they are committed to placing staff in comparable positions and will do their best to relocate the Child Development Center to a nearby location. The closure of VVE will not lead to the redrawing of attendance boundaries more than necessary or any change in the middle school feeder patterns.
Discontinuation of Spanish Immersion
SI, an elementary enrichment program for English speaking students learning Spanish, was first established in 2019 and is currently at all but one elementary school. The discontinuation of the SI program is projected to yield approximately $600,000 in savings. The motion to discontinue the elementary enrichment program in 2025-26 passed 5-2.
“We value this program, but it comes with inefficiencies, and not just financial inefficiencies,” board secretary Laura Clark said. “We can’t afford to continue without jeopardizing the core needs of our students. … This is not something that we take lightly. I understand the pride, hope and dreams tied to this program, but ultimately our responsibility is to every student in this district. We must ensure a strong foundation for all [and] that means we’re going to have to make some really tough decisions.”
Parents of students in the SI program have advocated for the continuation of SI, committing to a pledge large enough to offset the costs of the program.
Many community members and some board members believe the full effect of the SI program has yet to be realized, especially with the new 90/10 program where students spend 90% of the day with a Spanish speaking teacher, and 10% with an English speaking teacher.
“I really think to walk away at this point is a very serious mistake for us to make,” board member Ellen Balthazar said. “One that will have long term consequences for us on many, many different levels.”
Balthazar made a substitute motion to table the discontinuation of SI to save money due to the pledge. However, other board members had concerns about whether the full funds from the pledge will be made, leading the substitute motion to fail.
“To the SI community, thank you for your advocacy of an elementary program and an academic program,” Balthazar said. “Usually people don’t get real wound up and advocate positively, asking and begging for an academic program. To me, that has been remarkable, and I have appreciated that so very much.”
These decisions come shortly after the administrative decision to remove Professional Learning Communities at the middle and high schools, which was announced to teachers Dec. 18, 2024. Board actions regarding other potential revenue generating and saving options are to be made later this spring, including board action on whether to have a November election on whether or not to approve nine Copper Pennies.
