Four La Joya ISD campuses may close to address enrollment shifts and save up to $27.2 million, the district announced on Thursday.

The affected campuses include:

- Benavides Elementary, students would be reassigned to Sam Fordyce Elementary
- Peña Elementary, students would be reassigned to Clinton Elementary and Gonzalez Elementary based on their address
- Leo Elementary, students would be reassigned to Flores Elementary and E.B. Reyna Elementary based on their address
- Ann Richards Middle School, students would be reassigned to Garcia Middle School and Memorial Middle School based on their address. 

Another campus — J.D. Salinas Middle School — will close and be repurposed and open during the 2027–2028 school year as Choice Career Academy Middle School to create “new pathways in career and technical education,” a news release added.

In a news release, the district said the recommendations ensure “every student has access to a high-quality, best-fit learning environment.” 

The district said they've lost 8,000 students over the last 10 years, leaving elementary campuses with as few as 200 to 400 students when they were built for double that amount. 

The district said they want to close schools with low enrollment and low grades to move students to higher performing campuses. 

“By realigning facilities and staffing, the district projects up to $27.2 million in potential savings, which will be reinvested to strengthen instruction, expand career and technical education, and enhance student programming,” the news release stated.

The recommendations for the 2026-2027 school year will be discussed in a series of public meetings leading up to a final decision from the school board in January 2026.

“Our Achieving Excellence Together 2030 strategic plan is about preparing students for limitless opportunities,” La Joya ISD Superintendent Dr. Marcey Sorensen said in a statement. “These recommended school actions allow us to acknowledge and act on the declines in enrollment that the district and community have known about for years, ensure that we are delivering on the promise of educational excellence for all students, align ourselves with fiscally responsible practices, and reinvest in what matters most; strong schools, great teachers, and innovative programs that inspire success.”

The district said more details on the proposal are available on their website. 

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