On Wednesday night, the Grapevine‑Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD) board voted 5‑2 to shut down Bransford Elementary in Colleyville and Dove Elementary in Grapevine. The move is intended to save the district $2.7 million amid a continuing budget shortfall.
The consolidation plan
Bransford will merge with Colleyville and O.C. Taylor Elementary, while Dove will combine with Cannon and Silver Lake Elementary. The board said the closures would eliminate half‑empty campuses and allow the district to build a stronger, more stable system.
Community backlash
The decision sparked intense outcry from parents, teachers, and city leaders. At the public comment session, 75 people were scheduled to speak, but one parent delivered a scathing critique:
> “The decision to close schools is not an education master plan. This is not the GCISD that I used to be proud of. This is not the GCISD that my husband and I moved here for. This is a sham,” said one parent during Wednesday’s public comment.
Parents also voiced concerns about the impact on fine‑arts integration and a medically fragile unit that would need relocation.
Board members’ statements
Board member Dianna Sager defended the vote as a fiscal necessity:
> “Since data shows that our enrollment is declining and it’s inefficient and irresponsible for us to continue to operate elementary schools that are half‑empty, it is our job as trustees to make fiscally responsible decisions for the community that we are reluctant to serve,” she said. “We are not turning our backs on any of our students or schools. We’re consolidating campuses so that we can build a stronger and more stable school system for everyone.”
A.J. Pontillo echoed the focus on students:
> “We want to be focused on our students, on their education, on their growth. We don’t want to be focused on closing schools. There are a million other things that this community would love to be doing than to talk about closing schools. And this isn’t joyous for anybody up here.”
Opposition from the board
Two members, Dalia Begin and Matt Foust, voted against the closures. Begin said she did not believe all savings opportunities had been exhausted and that stakeholders were not fully engaged:
> “I do not fundamentally believe that we have exhausted all savings opportunities first,” she said ahead of the vote. “I also feel like stakeholders were not engaged to the full extent that we could have had them included.”
Foust echoed concerns about transparency, though he did not quote a statement in the article.
Superintendent resignation
The decision came shortly after Superintendent Brad Schnautz announced he would leave GCISD for a new education job in Fort Worth with Education Service Center Region 11. Many parents urged the board to pause the vote until a new superintendent was named.
Fundraising efforts
The district’s mayor offered to help secure over $1 million in fundraising to keep the schools open, while a group of parents formed their own fundraiser and secured pledges totaling over $488,000. The combined $1.7 million still fell short of the board’s stated threshold.
Parent Eddie Middlebrook criticized the board’s handling of the money:
> “The board president, one of her final thoughts was the $1.7 million was soft money. And I take offense to that because that’s her community’s hard‑earned money that we are putting up to help save the school district,” he said. “We can fix the problem. We understand there’s a problem, but we’re not scared to work to make it right. So I think everybody’s bummed out.”
Middlebrook also expressed deep disappointment in the board’s leadership:
> “I’m very disappointed in the board, they’ve lacked leadership for at least the last 11 months, spent a lot of time tonight gaslighting us and just making us try to feel small so they can feel big,” he said. “We’ll remember this come May 2nd.”
Enrollment decline and financial context
GCISD, like many North Texas districts, has seen a sharp decline in student enrollment over recent years. A drop in the birth rate, rising housing costs, and aging neighborhoods have all contributed to lower numbers. Less enrollment means less state funding, which has pressured the district to find cost‑saving measures.
Key takeaways
- GCISD closed Bransford and Dove Elementary in a 5‑2 vote, saving $2.7 million.
- Consolidation will merge Bransford with Colleyville and O.C. Taylor, and Dove with Cannon and Silver Lake.
- Parents, teachers, and city leaders have protested, citing financial and educational concerns.
Looking ahead
The district’s future hinges on how it addresses the financial gap and how it responds to community demands. With a new superintendent yet to be named, parents and stakeholders will likely continue to push for greater transparency and leadership before any further decisions are made.
Hi, I’m Cameron R. Hayes, the journalist, editor, and creator behind NewsOfFortWorth.com. I built this platform with a simple purpose — to deliver fast, clear, and trustworthy news that keeps Fort Worth informed and connected.
I’ve spent more than five years working in digital media, reporting on breaking news, local government, public safety, business growth, community events, and the real stories that shape life in Fort Worth. My goal has always been the same: to provide accurate, community-focused reporting that people can rely on every day.
