With WFISD middle schools decided, the future of Old High is up in the air

The WFISD board of trustees approved a recommendation this week to use campuses for three middle schools for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The Barwise, Rider and Hirschi campuses were the three locations the board selected. Their decision leaves the future of Wichita Falls High School uncertain

Dr. Donny Lee, WFISD superintendent, said two of the three middle schools were set going into the meeting on Monday.

“For the future, we want to know which middle schools are going to be used. We know that Hirschi Middle School is going to be used next year for 24-25,” Lee said after the meeting, adding later, “We know Rider Middle School is going to take place as well, so that left that final middle school option.”

Discussion during the meeting centered on whether to renovate and use Barwise Middle School as one of two feeder schools for Legacy High School or to instead renovate WFHS and use it as the second feeder school.

Rider High School will be converted to a middle school and will funnel into Memorial High School. Hirschi High School will also be converted into a middle school and will feed into Legacy High School, alongside either a converted and renovated Old High or a renovated Barwise.

Hirschi and either Barwise or WFHS could support around 700 to 800 students each while the board anticipates Rider will have around 1,100 to 1,200 students.

School Board President Katherine McGregor raised concerns at the meeting that middle school students attending the converted Hirschi and Rider campuses might have access to benefits that would be available to students at a renovated Old High — but not at Barwise.

While district middle schools don’t have baseball or softball programs, McGregor worried that Barwise students who choose to play on the diamond in club sports might fall behind their peers around town since Rider and Hirschi students might have access to facilities for those sports. WFHS would provide comparable facilities as a middle school to Rider and Hirschi Middle Schools.

Lee said there are a number of options for what will happen to Old High.

“It would be a board decision to where they said they want to lease it, sell it (or have a) partnership with the city to do some type of revitalization along with the community that surrounds it," he said. "So it’s completely up to them. Those decisions haven’t been made yet."

One potential setback with converting Old High is foundation issues that Lee estimates would cost between $5 million and $10 million to fix.

Lee said that although the board ultimately decided to use Barwise, the history and sentimental value of Old High make it something the board wants to find a way to preserve in some capacity.

“It’s the flagship campus in the district, so we don’t just want to toss it away,” Lee said.

McGregor said that she doesn’t want to see the district discard a potentially usable resource in WFHS because of structural issues that could be repaired.

“I think it’s just terrible how this district over the decades ignores maintenance, and then when you go, 'Oh, well, can’t use that anymore,' that’s 260,000 square feet," McGregor said in the meeting. "Everything’s not falling apart. We have foundation issues in three places."

Lee said if Old High is not utilized, there are a number of options for what could happen to the property.

The board voted unanimously to approve the recommendation for Barwise, Rider and Hirschi. Discussion will continue on what to do with the WFHS campus.

“We’ve got some time,” McGregor said.

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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Decision on WFISD middle schools leaves Old High's future uncertain