Crowd Protests Possible DISD Consolidation

Plan to meet every day before Board votes on Thursday

The possibility of consolidating 11 Dallas schools is drawing a small but vocal crowd of protesters.

Parents and community members plan to protest every morning this week in advance of a vote that would close 11 city schools.

Carrying signs and chanting, "Save our schools," the protesters began gathering in front of the Dallas Independent School District's Administration Building Monday morning.

DISD has cited under enrollment and a roughly $100 million cut in state funding as the source of the consolidation. They also said closing the schools would save about $11.5 million, but former district trustee, Se-Gwen Tyler, hopes the board will find another solution.

"Something has to happen, I agree, but like I said, this is not our problem. So it's up to the board to find out another direction to go in. Don't bus our children and take them out of a neighborhood because of a mistake they made," said Tyler.

DISD said the decision is not final and they encourage parents to voice their concerns.The board will vote on Thursday.

The 11 campuses that would close next school year include the following:

Arlington Park Elementary School
City Park Elementary
H.S. Thompson Elementary School
James B. Bonham Elementary School
James W. Fannin Elementary School
Julia C. Frazier Elementary School
N.W. Harllee Elementary School
Oran M. Roberts Elementary School
Phillis Wheatley Elementary School

D.A. Hulcy Middle School
Pearl C. Anderson Middle School (2013-14 school year)

NBC 5's Ben Russell contributed to this report.

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