The San Antonio (Texas) school board has voted to close Rhodes Middle School.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that the decision to close the school comes roughly two months before summer break and marks the 17th district campus closure in the past three years.
More than 50 community members called for the district to keep the West Side middle school open. The board was split; Jacob Ramos and Stephanie Torres cast no votes and all other board members voted in favor of the closure.
The Rhodes attendance area will be assigned to Tafolla Middle School next year, though San Antonio allows students to attend any campus in the district. The school board also voted to have charter operator run Tafolla and two other campuses in the hopes of improving academic performance.
Rhodes has about 450 students, and 96% of its families are economically disadvantaged. The campus has earned an F rating from the Texas Education Agency for three consecutive school years.
In Texas, schools that receive five consecutive failing grades from the state trigger harsh consequences: a mandated campus closure or an appointed state board of managers who replace the elected school board. District officials expect Rhodes to score a fourth F rating this year, Deputy Superintendent Shawn Bird said.
The San Antonio district, the city's third-largest school system, has lost enrollment steadily over the past two decades. District leadership has said the ideal number of schools to operate is about 50; the district now operates 84 campuses.
