What happened: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to convert the Lamar Elementary campus into the districtwide Midland Alternative Program (MAP). The district will sell the current MAP campus and reassign Lamar students to nearby elementary schools beginning next school year.

Trustees unanimously approved the closure of Lamar and the boundary changes. The property sale of the existing MAP campus passed 6–1, with Trustee Sara Burleson voting against. District leaders said the three actions are part of a coordinated long-term facilities plan.

Why it matters: The decision changes where Lamar students attend school, centralizes the disciplinary alternative education program, and responds to a sharp drop in student enrollment. District leaders said MISD has lost nearly the enrollment of one full elementary school this year alone. Officials warned that waiting could force multiple school closures at once.

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The big picture: Students currently zoned to Lamar will move to nearby Bonham, Burnett, and Jane Long, all within 1.5 miles, and able to absorb additional students. Administrators said Lamar is no longer functioning as a typical neighborhood school. Only 51% of students living in its attendance zone actually attend the school. Enrollment had previously fallen into the 300s before earlier boundary changes stabilized numbers.

Go deeper: District projections show 11 elementary campuses could fall below 500 students within the next decade. Officials said losing 400–500 students is equivalent to one full school’s worth of enrollment. The district is also preparing for additional empty seats at elementary schools once sixth graders move to the middle schools after the new high schools open in 2028. Administrators said gradual consolidation now helps avoid larger closures later.

Key points:

  • Disciplinary education: The district will repurpose Lamar as a centralized districtwide MAP campus serving both elementary and secondary students assigned to disciplinary alternative education. Trustee Matt Friez said the move will improve services for those students.

“This should help staffing, logistics, and instructional resources,” he said, calling the consolidation “a very smart, strategic thing to do at this time.”

  • Financial impact: District leaders said the plan costs less than continuing to operate Lamar as a traditional elementary campus, though it still carries about $500,000 in net annual operational costs.

An independent appraisal valued the current MAP campus at $4.45 million. Officials also said relocating district police operations to Lamar could save $5–6 million compared with building a new facility.

  • Sale of MAP campus: State law requires charter schools to receive the first right of refusal if a district sells a campus facility, but the law does not require the district to sell below market value.

Trustee Sara Burleson questioned whether the district explored other uses for the MAP campus before considering selling it. Administrators said the building’s size, layout, and age limit efficiency, and major renovations would require costly code upgrades.