Following a multi-year enrollment decline and significant state funding losses, the Carroll Independent School District's board of trustees voted to close Don T. Durham Intermediate School prior to the 2027–28 school year. The decision was made during a Jan. 12 board work session.
District officials cited a loss of 655 students since the 2019–20 school year and an estimated $7 million reduction in state funding as key factors behind the closure. Texas school districts receive state funding based on average daily attendance, and Carroll ISD is currently operating roughly 2,000 students below campus capacity, according to district presentations.
The board’s decision followed a recommendation from the district’s Budget Reduction Advisory Committee (BRAC), a group of staff and parent representatives formed in 2024 to help develop a five-year plan for financial stability. The committee began evaluating campus consolidation options last September, according to Executive Director of Communications Jeff Brady.
Durham currently enrolls 664 students but has capacity for 849. Projections from a Zonda Demographer report estimate enrollment could fall to 501 students by the 2029–30 school year. Additionally, the campus requires approximately $8 million in repairs over the next five years, which is significantly higher than the roughly $1 million required at most other district schools during the same period.
District officials emphasized that the consolidation plan was designed to minimize disruption for families. Elementary attendance zones will remain unchanged, meaning students will stay at their current elementary campuses one additional year rather than transitioning to an intermediate school for fifth grade.
As the district shifts to a sixth-through-eighth-grade middle school model, administrators are evaluating feeder patterns to better balance enrollment. Under early planning discussions, students from Carroll Elementary, Rockenbaugh and Old Union Elementary would feed into a combined Dawson–Eubanks Middle School campus, while Walnut Grove and Johnson Elementary would continue feeding into Carroll Middle School. Officials stressed that no final feeder pattern decisions have been approved and that sibling “grandfathering” would be honored to keep families together.
Board President Cam Bryan said the district plans to sell the Durham campus and its 30-acre property. Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Operations Chase Park estimates the sale could generate between $20 million and $25 million, which would be placed into a high-yield account expected to earn approximately $1.25 million in interest annually, which would go toward teacher raises and other district needs.
In addition to proceeds from the sale, district officials anticipate approximately $2.5 million in annual savings, including $1.3 million from operational cost reductions and administrative staffing changes. Teachers affected by the closure will transition with students to their new campuses, Park said.
Over the next year, district officials will develop updated transportation routes, feeder patterns and curriculum adjustments in preparation for the transition.