KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Killeen ISD will close three schools — Peebles Elementary, Eastern Hills Middle School, and Palo Alto Middle School — at the end of the school year to save $60 million over five years amid declining enrollment and reduced federal funding.
- Historic closures: Peebles Elementary, which opened in 1960 and recently improved from an "F" to "B" rating, will close after 65 years of serving Killeen's north side families.
- Student impact: Students from all three schools will be rezoned to nearby campuses, while Palo Alto's building will become a district alternative education center.
- Financial strategy: The closures are part of "district optimization" designed to save more than $60 million over five years, with funds redirected to improve academic programs and facilities at remaining schools.
Check out the story:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Killeen Independent School District will close three campuses that have educated generations of Central Texas students as part of a cost-cutting strategy amid declining enrollment and reduced federal funding.
The district's board of trustees approved the plan as part of what it calls "district optimization" — a strategy aimed at cutting costs while maintaining educational quality.
"I think it's really sad and unfortunate since we live in a society where a lot of parents right now don't have the necessities to homeschool," Zuri Medina said.
One of the schools slated to close is Peebles Elementary, which opened in 1960. After more than six decades of serving families on Killeen's north side, the campus will close its doors at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Students will be rezoned to several nearby elementary campuses.
Peebles has seen a significant turnaround in recent years, improving its state accountability score from an "F" to a "B." However, district leaders say older facilities and shifting enrollment numbers made the change necessary.
Two middle schools — Eastern Hills and Palo Alto — will also close at the end of this school year. Both campuses have struggled with performance and low student numbers in recent years.
For Eastern Hills Middle School alumnus William Baker, the news is shocking.
"It's a little depressing since I have so many memories there," Baker said.
Eastern Hills first opened in 1987 and Palo Alto in 1995. Under the plan, most students will be rezoned to nearby campuses like Nolan, Manor, Union Grove and Rancier Middle School.
Palo Alto's building will be repurposed as a district alternative education campus.
District officials say these moves will help save more than $60 million over the next five years — money they say will be used to improve academic programs and facilities across the district.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
