The Midland Independent School District Board of Trustees has approved a three-part campus repurpose plan that will close Lamar Elementary as a neighborhood school.
District leaders said the coordinated plan responds to declining enrollment and long-term facility needs. Since September, the district has lost 448 students—about 70% of them at the elementary level—marking the first year actual enrollment fell below projections. Administrators noted that a loss of 400 to 500 students is equivalent to an entire campus and warned that delaying action could force multiple closures in a single year. Lamar’s enrollment had previously dropped into the 300s before boundary adjustments were made in the 2023-24 school year, according to information presented at the board meeting.
The resolution includes converting Lamar into the districtwide Midland Alternative Placement (MAP) campus, initiating the sale of district property at 2101 W. Missouri Ave., and adjusting elementary attendance boundaries beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Under the plan, Lamar will be repurposed after the 2025-26 school year to house both elementary and secondary Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) students in one centralized location. Students currently zoned to Lamar will be reassigned to Bonham, Burnet, Jane Long, and De Zavala elementary schools, all of which have available capacity. Officials said the consolidation will create about $300,000 in annual operational savings from closing the existing MAP campus, while selling the Missouri Avenue property—recently appraised at $4.45 million—would provide a one-time revenue boost. Trustees also discussed relocating central police operations to the repurposed campus instead of constructing a new standalone facility.
The boundary adjustments take effect in the 2026-27 school year, while both Lamar’s closure and MAP relocation are scheduled for after the end of the 2025-26 school year. Trustees said these moves improve campus utilization, strengthen alternative education services, and position Midland ISD for long-term fiscal sustainability as it prepares for future grade reconfiguration and additional enrollment shifts.
The Midland Independent School District aims to enhance student achievement and support diverse groups through targeted educational programs according to its official website. The district operates under Superintendent Stephanie Howard and collaborates with partners such as the Midland Education Foundation on initiatives spanning academics, fine arts, robotics, STEM fields and history.