Allen ISD is selling a 2.09-acre property it bought in 2018 for possible expansion of the Lowery Freshman Center, a move driven by years of declining enrollment and a district budget running $5.3 million in the red.
The board of trustees approved a resolution Monday, July 27, declaring the land at 410 N. Greenville Ave. surplus and authorizing officials to advertise it for sale or exchange, Community Impact reported. The Collin Central Appraisal District values the property at nearly $2.6 million.
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Brent Benningfield told the board the district purchased the parcel in 2018, when enrollment was still climbing, with the expectation it could serve as additional parking or an expansion site for the freshman center next door.
"Obviously, a lot has happened since 2018," Benningfield said at the July 27 meeting.
The property currently holds two buildings and several parking lots.
Why now
Allen ISD's enrollment peaked in 2022 and has fallen every year since. The district enrolled 21,833 students in 2019 but just 20,140 in the 2025-26 school year, according to The Eagle Angle, Allen High School's student newspaper. Officials project another 550-student drop for 2026-27, Star Local Media reported in January 2026.
That shrinking headcount has cost the district more than $10 million in annual state funding, which is tied to student attendance. Combined with what Benningfield called "increases in unfunded mandates passed by the state," district leaders recommended unloading the Greenville Avenue site.
Allen ISD adopted a $226 million general fund budget for 2026-27 in June that projects the $5.3 million shortfall.
What happens next
District officials will publish a public notice before accepting bids. Once proposals come in, Benningfield said, officials and board members will review them in closed session.
The board is not required to accept any offer. Benningfield told trustees they can pick a lower-priced bid if it carries "more desirable aspects," such as a "more favorable land use" or less disruption to district operations.
No timeline for the public notice or bid deadline has been announced. The first day of school for Allen ISD's 2026-27 year is Thursday, Aug. 13.
