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GCISD board votes to close two elementary schools

By and
Published  December 11, 2025 8:07am CST
Grapevine
FOX 4
article

The Brief

    • The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board voted 5-2 late Wednesday to close Dove Elementary and Bransford Elementary at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
    • The decision, which is expected to save the district over $2 million annually, faced strong opposition from more than 70 parents and community members who protested the closures.
    • GCISD joins other North Texas districts (like McKinney and Frisco ISDs) making similar moves to address issues related to declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, and rising operational costs.

GRAPEVINE, Texas - The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District (GCISD) school board voted late Wednesday night to close two elementary schools, a decision that was met with strong pushback from parents and students.

GCISD votes to close Dove Elementary and Bransford Elementary

GCISD votes to close two elementary schools

GCISD votes to close two elementary schools

The Grapevine-Colleyville ISD school board voted to close two elementary schools despite pushback from parents.

What we know:

Dove Elementary and Bransford Elementary will close at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Parents and community members had fought for months to convince the school board to delay the vote, claiming the review process was rushed. More than 70 people spoke at the meeting, with the vast majority opposing the closures.

After a lengthy session, the board voted 5-2 to proceed with closing the two campuses. The closures are expected to save the district more than $2 million annually.

One trustee noted that the funds saved from the closures will give the district "more breathing room" to operate and invest in teachers. Affected students will be relocated to other schools, and the district may eventually sell the properties.

What they're saying:

School board president Shannon Braun defended the challenging vote as necessary for the district’s long-term health.

"We were elected to lead and we were elected to make hard choices that protect the long-term health and excellence of our schools," Braun said.

The vote left many parents visibly upset, consoling each other in the board room following the decision.

School closures across Texas

Grapevine-Colleyville is the latest North Texas district to address fiscal challenges by consolidating facilities. Facing declining enrollment, budget shortfalls, and increasing operational costs, districts across the region have been forced to make similar moves.

Recently, trustees in McKinney ISD approved closing three elementary schools. Frisco ISD is also moving forward with the closure of a middle school.

The Source: Infromation in this article comes from school board meetings and previous FOX 4 reporting.

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