08/21/2026
This week, Little Elm ISD announced its decision to close Little Elm Elementary School at the end of the 2026–2027 school year.
The District shared the decision during three community meetings with the parents of that campus, where Superintendent Michael Lamb explained the factors that led to this difficult decision and provided attendees an opportunity to ask questions. Staff members were also informed two weeks ago.
This decision is driven by two significant factors:
-The financial challenges facing Little Elm ISD
-Little Elm Elementary School's accountability rating
*Our Financial Situation*
Little Elm ISD is currently operating under its fourth consecutive year of a deficit budget. This year, the District adopted a budget with an approximately $7 million deficit.
For several years, the District has been able to use funds previously set aside to help manage the changing growth and support operations when needed. The District also maintains a fund balance, or reserve, to provide financial stability and help protect the District during challenging financial times.
While these reserves have helped the District navigate difficult years, continuing to rely on savings is not a long-term solution. The District must make significant changes to ensure the financial stability of Little Elm ISD.
One of the biggest factors affecting the District's finances is enrollment. Public schools receive funding largely based on the number of students they serve. Over the last three years, Little Elm ISD has lost approximately 775 students. That decline represents an estimated $5 million in lost revenue.
Previous enrollment projections anticipated that the District would grow to more than 9,000 students. Today, enrollment is approximately 7,400 students.
Little Elm Elementary has experienced a significant decline in enrollment as well. The campus currently serves approximately 327 students. In 2019, more than 650 students attended Little Elm Elementary.
The District began seeing signs of declining enrollment at Little Elm Elementary in 2024. At that time, it became clear that the District might eventually need to consider closing a campus.
The District has also experienced changes in housing and family demographics. Aging neighborhoods, limited affordable housing, high interest rates, and changing family choices all contribute to enrollment challenges. Some families are also choosing homeschooling, charter schools, private schools, or neighboring school districts.
While studying these enrollment trends, the District had a campus on the west side serving more than 1,000 students. Plans were already underway to open Lakewood Village Elementary to alleviate student growth, and the new campus also provided an opportunity to adjust attendance boundaries in an effort to avoid closing any existing schools. Despite those efforts, enrollment at Little Elm Elementary continued to decline.
*Accountability*
The second factor in this decision is Little Elm Elementary School's accountability rating.
Little Elm Elementary recently received its fourth consecutive D rating under the Texas accountability system. While the campus improved by two points from the previous year, the increase was not enough to move the campus into a higher rating category.
The Texas Education Agency has significant intervention requirements for campuses that continue to receive low accountability ratings. Continued low performance can result in increasingly serious consequences and, ultimately, state intervention.
Little Elm ISD remains committed to making the 2026–2027 school year the strongest academic year possible for Little Elm Elementary students. District and campus leaders will continue working closely with teachers and staff to support student learning throughout the remainder of the school's final year.
*What Happens Next*
Throughout this school year, the District will work through the transition process and develop plans for where Little Elm Elementary students will attend school next year. Families will receive updates as decisions are made and additional information becomes available.
Community members also asked what will happen to the Little Elm Elementary building. The District does not intend to let the building sit vacant, nor are there plans to sell it. District leaders are beginning to explore ways the facility could continue to serve and benefit the Little Elm community.
In terms of staffing, the District plans to address that through attrition. As people leave the district, there may be opportunity to consolidate positions.
Closing a school is never an easy decision. However, after careful consideration of the District's financial situation, enrollment trends, and campus accountability, the administration believes this decision is necessary.
Little Elm ISD's priority is to support students, families, and staff throughout this transition while ensuring the District remains financially stable and focused on providing the best possible educational opportunities for every student.
