‘These are life-changing decisions’: Community reacts to possibility of Judson Middle School closing

Judson Middle School students face uncertainty as Judson Independent School District board members consider closing the campus to save money.

During a May 8 Judson ISD budget meeting shared online, a graphic showed that the district would save $1.7 million by closing Judson Middle School.

The graphic sparked a discussion that came as a surprise to dozens of families in the district.

Several families attended the Judson ISD board meeting on May 15 to speak publicly to the board on behalf of their families and other students.

“My son loves going to Judson Middle School,” a woman said.

“I don’t really like to hear that Judson Middle School is shutting down,” Izella, a seventh grader at Judson Middle School, said.

Through tears and irritation, more than a dozen parents and faculty members shared how they feel about the possibility of Judson Middle School closing.

“I’m upset about the way the board is doing business,” Gilbert Flores, a former board member, said.

“These are life-changing decisions that impact their transportation and after-school activities, just to name a few,” another woman said.

“A lot of our students are in a two-mile radius, which means they’re either walking to school currently or they’re getting dropped off by parents,” said Laurie Lerma, a Judson Middle School parent.

“Are we going to have to hire more bus drivers? Are we truly saving $1.7 million? Are we gonna have to hire more teachers? Because there is going to be potential overcrowding. Are we truly saving $1.7 million?” Lerma questioned.

Whether the district will actually save $1.7 million is unclear. The board did not vote on closing the school in this meeting, and there is no firm date set for when that vote will happen.

Regardless, the families who spoke during the public comment portion of Thursday’s board meeting were firmly against closing Judson Middle School.