Recommended Campus Rebalancing
Campus Rebalancing Proposal
The District’s Campus Rebalancing Proposal focuses on creating balanced enrollment across all schools to ensure every student learns in an equitable, well-resourced environment. By aiming to use at least 85% of available classroom seats, the plan prevents schools from becoming either overcrowded or underutilized. This balance not only promotes efficiency but also strengthens learning experiences by maintaining reasonable class sizes and ensuring resources are distributed fairly.
Consolidation is a key part of this proposal, especially with campuses such as Sky Harbour, Indian Creek, and Hidden Cove Elementary operating with fewer than 470 students. Merging these enrollments would create schools closer to 650 students, bringing facilities to optimal use and preserving high-quality learning environments.
Ultimately, this rebalancing plan is a proactive effort to ensure long-term stability. It allows the district to respond thoughtfully to community growth and demographic changes while continuing to prioritize what matters most: strong schools, thriving students, and a sustainable future for all.
Shifting Enrollment
As our community continues to grow and change, some schools are seeing shifts in student enrollment that impact how we plan for the future.
In the fall of 2026, the district will open Juan Alvarado Elementary School, a new campus designed to serve families in the rapidly growing Von Ormy area. This school will welcome approximately 550 students from Spicewood Park, Sky Harbour, and Southwest Elementary.
While the Von Ormy area continues to experience rapid residential growth, the Sky Harbour community is largely landlocked, with limited space for new housing developments. This shift in where families are settling is creating an imbalance in student enrollment across campuses. Additionally, with the realignment, Sky Harbour Elementary will experience a decrease in enrollment, as approximately 200 students from the Von Ormy area will be rezoned to attend Alvarado Elementary.
After these changes, the district will have three elementary campuses with fewer than 470 students:
- Sky Harbour Elementary: 392 students
- Indian Creek Elementary: 469 students
- Hidden Cove STEAM Academy: 436 students
While these numbers reflect a downward trend in enrollment for some neighborhoods, they also guide us in making thoughtful decisions that prioritize student success, teacher support, and the efficient use of district resources. Our goal is to ensure that every Southwest ISD student continues to learn, grow, and belong in a school community that meets their needs.
Structural Challenges
Over the years, Sky Harbour Elementary has served generations of families with care and dedication. However, as the building has aged, it has begun to show signs of wear that will soon require significant attention.
While the campus remains safe for students and staff, several parts of the facility need significant repairs and updates to meet modern standards. These include issues related to aging infrastructure, ongoing maintenance concerns, and systems nearing the end of their expected lifespan.
Addressing these challenges would require substantial investment in construction and renovations over the next few years. As the district evaluates these needs alongside declining enrollment, it becomes clear that maintaining the current facility in the long term may not be the most effective way to provide students with a high-quality learning environment.
Financial Considerations
Southwest ISD remains deeply committed to using district resources responsibly while keeping student learning and well-being at the heart of every decision. When all campuses are used efficiently, the district can save on costs such as utilities, maintenance, and portable buildings, allowing more funding to go directly into classrooms where it benefits students most.
Adjusting attendance boundaries also helps the district plan ahead for future growth, including new housing developments and changing population patterns, ensuring that every school remains well-balanced and sustainable in the years ahead.
Like many districts across Texas, Southwest ISD has faced significant budget challenges in recent years:
- 2023–2024: –$15,649,976
- 2024–2025: –$12,916,283
- 2025–2026: –$3,397,049
In response, the district has taken meaningful steps to operate more efficiently. Over the past year, Southwest ISD eliminated central office positions, reduced service contracts, cut department budgets, and updated the staffing model to better align with enrollment and funding levels.
Even with these changes, the district is working hard to avoid measures that would directly affect classrooms, such as increasing class sizes, reducing teacher planning time, or cutting student programs.
By consolidating campuses, the district can create better-resourced schools that support teachers and students while ensuring financial stability. For elementary campuses, the optimal functional capacity ranges from 620 to 740 students. Consolidating students from Sky Harbour into two nearby campuses would bring enrollment closer to 650 students per campus, maximizing resources and maintaining a strong learning environment.
This strategic decision could save the district between $5.5 and $6.5 million, funds that can be reinvested to preserve and enhance the exceptional educational experience that Southwest ISD families expect and deserve.
Southwest ISD remains committed to transparency throughout this process. Our goal is to make responsible decisions that prioritize students, support our dedicated staff, and ensure that every child continues to learn in a safe, nurturing, and well-maintained school environment.
Next Steps
On October 22, Sky Harbour families received this letter inviting them to attend a Parent Connection Meeting on November 5. During this meeting, district leaders shared this presentation about the proposed campus rebalancing and boundary changes, addressed questions, and received feedback from families.
A second letter was sent on November 7, informing parents of this webpage.
The proposed plan for Sky Harbour Elementary will be first presented to the Facilities and Maintenance Committee for review and approval on November 12.
Following that meeting, the plan is scheduled to be finalized and recommended to the Board of Trustees on November 18. If the plan is approved, the closure of Sky Harbour Elementary will not take place until the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
Bus transportation will be provided for all students who attend the school assigned to their SWISD boundary zone to help ensure a smooth transition.
Families who wish to have their child attend a different SWISD campus may apply for a transfer. However, transportation will not be provided if the transfer is to a school outside the student’s designated boundary zone. Transfer requests require principal approval and are considered based on available space, staffing for special programs, and the student’s grades, attendance, and behavior.
The district will continue to share updates and provide opportunities for families, staff, and community members to stay engaged throughout the process. Together, we can ensure that every decision supports the long-term success and well-being of all Southwest ISD students.
Sky Harbour Elementary has experienced a steady decline in enrollment in recent years. As student populations shift toward the growing Von Ormy area, maintaining the current number of elementary schools is no longer the most efficient use of district resources. Consolidating campuses will enable Southwest ISD to provide more effective support to students, teachers, and programs across all schools.
Yes. The campus is currently safe for all students and staff. However, the building is aging and has significant maintenance and construction needs that will require costly repairs in the near future. These long-term facility needs are part of the reason the district is reviewing future use of the campus.
If approved by the Board of Trustees, the closure of Sky Harbour Elementary would not take place until the end of the 2025–2026 school year. This timeline ensures families, students, and staff have ample time to prepare for the transition.
No. Students will remain at Sky Harbour Elementary through the 2025–2026 school year. The district will work closely with families to ensure a smooth transition to their new schools, beginning in the fall of 2026.
Yes. Bus transportation will be provided for all students who attend the school assigned to their designated SWISD boundary zone. Families who choose to request a transfer to a different campus outside their boundary zone may do so; however, transportation will not be provided in these cases.
The proposed boundary changes were developed using current and projected enrollment data, housing growth patterns, and school capacity levels. The goal is to balance student enrollment across all campuses and ensure that every school operates efficiently.
Yes. The district has a policy ensuring that siblings stay together.
Southwest ISD deeply values every member of the Sky Harbour team. If the closure is approved, staff will be given opportunities to transfer to other campuses within the district based on certification, position, and available openings.
Families are encouraged to submit questions, comments, or concerns through this form. Ongoing updates will also be shared through district communication channels, the website, and campus newsletters.
Consolidating campuses enables Southwest ISD to allocate more funding to classrooms, offer stronger academic and extracurricular programs, and maintain balanced class sizes across all schools. Ultimately, these changes help the district sustain an exceptional learning experience for every student.
This is a great question and one we understand many families may have. Different types of funding are used for other purposes within a school district. Building projects, such as a new central office or school construction, are typically funded through voter-approved bond dollars, which can only be used for bond-approved facilities, not for daily operational expenses. Salaries and incentives are financed by the district’s operating budget, which covers staffing, instruction, and student programs. Student incentives, such as attendance prizes, are provided by the Southwest ISD Education Foundation.
When considering campus realignment, the district carefully reviewed enrollment trends, building conditions, and long-term costs at every elementary school.
- It is landlocked, meaning there is no room for new housing development to boost future enrollment.
- The campus has maintenance and construction needs that would require costly repairs in the near future.
- Enrollment at Sky Harbour is projected to continue to decline. Once the families from the Von Ormy area transition to the new Juan M. Alvarado Elementary School, Sky Harbour Elementary will have the lowest enrollment among elementary schools.
- By comparison, other campuses have healthier enrollment numbers, room to grow, or newer facilities that can serve students more efficiently.