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The Arlington ISD Board of Trustees began conversations about closing the East Arlington Blanton Elementary School on Jan. 8, 2026. The school board, shown in this screenshot of the meeting livestream, must make a decision by Jan. 31, 2026, per Texas Education Agency guidelines.
Courtesy of Arlington ISD
Arlington ISD is considering closing a 70-year-old underperforming elementary school.
The school board held its first public conversation about the potential closure of Blanton Elementary School on Thursday night.
The Arlington ISD administration has recommended closing the campus and repurposing part of it for another use because of the school’s significant repair needs, declining enrollment and underperformance. Blanton Elementary currently has a failing grade on the Texas Education Agency report card despite a high attendance rate.
About 58% of the East Arlington campus is in need of repair or replacement to uphold Arlington ISD’s values and expectations, according to an administration report. The school has been open since 1956.
Blanton Elementary is designed to serve about 800 to 900 students but only has 456 students enrolled. The overwhelming majority of the students are economically disadvantaged and predominantly Hispanic, TEA data shows.
According to the 2025 TEA accountability ratings, Blanton Elementary’s academic performance has been declining since 2013, when it was better than or as good as 76% of other similar schools statewide. In 2025, the school academically outperformed 6% of peer schools.
Parents, students and staff have been told the school may be shut down but will receive a written notice on Friday. The district will also be starting a webpage at aisd.net/futureuse to provide additional information and a space to ask questions.
Roughly 20 parents spoke to the school board Thursday night questioning what would happen if Blanton closed. All of them were opposed to the potential closure.
There will be a parent information meeting on Jan. 14 at Blanton Elementary as well. The next scheduled Arlington school board meeting is set for Jan. 22, but board president Justin Chapa said he will recommend a Jan. 20 meeting that will focus solely on the Blanton campus’s future. A translator will be available at each meeting related to the potential closure.
Chapa said there is only a short time allotted by the state to improve the school’s ratings. If that is not done in time, the state will close Blanton Elementary School. By closing the school now, Arlington ISD would be able to keep the conversations close to home and allow parents access to those discussions.
“The reality is, if we do not take action ourselves, it will be done for us,” Chapa said.
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Rachel Royster
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