The Austin Independent School District has released significant revisions to its comprehensive school closure and boundary change plan, responding to intense community feedback just weeks before a final board vote. While the proposal to close 13 campuses remains, district officials have introduced adjustments to program relocations, student transfer policies, and attendance zones.
Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed the changes were prompted by community input gathered since the initial plan's release on October 3. The district faces a looming decision on November 20, when trustees are scheduled to vote on the measures aimed at addressing a $19.7 million budget deficit and declining enrollment.
Key Takeaways
- Austin ISD still plans to close 13 schools to address a budget deficit, with a final vote scheduled for November 20.
- Revisions to the original plan were made following over 7,200 comments from the community.
- Key changes include new potential locations for the Montessori program, revised student transfer policies, and repurposed middle school campuses.
- Attendance boundaries for multiple schools have been redrawn in the new draft.
- Superintendent Matias Segura has emphasized the need to make difficult decisions while remaining flexible to community concerns.
Community Feedback Drives Plan Revisions
Since the initial proposal to overhaul the district was announced, AISD has been inundated with feedback from concerned families. The plan, which affects thousands of students, sparked widespread grief and outrage over the potential loss of neighborhood schools.
District data reveals the scale of the public response. Officials received more than 7,200 comment cards from over 4,600 unique email addresses. The feedback highlighted specific areas of concern that the new draft attempts to address.
Public Comment Breakdown
- 46% of comments concerned proposed boundary changes.
- 18% of comments focused on the closure of specific schools.
- 10% of comments were about the relocation of school-wide dual language programs.
Superintendent Matias Segura acknowledged the need for flexibility in the face of such a strong community response. At a recent community meeting at Greater Calvary Bible Church, he stressed that the district is trying to balance individual community needs with the district's overall financial and academic health.
"We have to make the decisions one by one. We're never going to be so rigid, where we're going to introduce harm without really understanding the benefit of each move." - Matias Segura, AISD Superintendent
What's New in the Revised Proposal
The updated draft, released to the public on Friday, maintains the closure of 13 campuses but alters several key components of the original plan. These changes reflect a direct response to some of the most prominent concerns raised by parents and staff.
Program and Campus Repurposing
One of the most significant adjustments involves the district's popular Montessori program, currently housed at Winn Elementary, which is slated for closure. Instead of moving the program to Govalle Elementary as first proposed, officials are now considering either Zavala or Ortega elementary schools as its new home. The program would be opt-in for students.
The district is also reconsidering the future of several campuses on the closure list:
- Oak Springs Elementary: Officials are now considering moving forward with construction of a new building on the Oak Springs site. This new facility could potentially house students from both Oak Springs and Blackshear Elementary.
- Martin Middle School: Though still proposed for closure, the campus could be repurposed in one to two years to house Garza Independence High School, a self-paced campus, and add instruction for grades six through nine.
- Bedichek Middle School: This campus, also on the closure list, might be reopened in the future as either a prekindergarten through eighth-grade campus or a new sixth through 12th-grade dual-language school.
Revised Transfer Policies and Boundaries
The new draft introduces more lenient transfer and transportation policies. These changes aim to provide more stability for students affected by closures and boundary shifts.
Under the new proposal, rising sixth and ninth graders, along with prekindergarteners, would be allowed to enroll at the campus they would have originally attended. Transfer students at a closing school would also receive a guaranteed spot at the new campus their zoned peers are being moved to.
Furthermore, attendance boundaries have been adjusted for multiple schools. For example, the new General Marshall Middle School, which previously had no attendance zone, will now serve students from Blanton, Pecan Springs, Overton, Jordan, and parts of Harris and Andrews elementary schools.
Why is AISD Closing Schools?
The comprehensive plan is the district's response to significant financial and academic challenges. AISD is facing a $19.7 million budget deficit, compounded by dwindling student enrollment across the city. Officials hope the closures and consolidations will save approximately $25 million annually. Additionally, multiple AISD campuses are under scrutiny from the Texas Education Agency for failing to meet state academic standards for consecutive years.
A Difficult Path Forward
Despite the revisions, the core of the plan remains a source of anxiety for many families. At the East Austin community meeting, residents expressed concerns that the changes would disproportionately disrupt students in their communities and limit equitable access to high-quality programs.
Superintendent Segura addressed these historical inequities directly, stating, "I take full responsibility for the inaction of Austin ISD for the last multiple decades." He argued that the district's current financial and academic situation necessitates difficult, system-wide decisions.
"I cannot stop a hard decision based on just one community's voice without really understanding how it impacts the whole. The whole is really our budget challenges, how we support and resource our schools, how we respond to the city's accountability system." - Matias Segura, AISD Superintendent
The timeline for a final decision is rapidly approaching. District officials plan to present the updated boundary changes to the board on November 6. Segura has indicated that families should expect more drafts of the plan before a final recommendation is released on November 14.
The AISD Board of Trustees is scheduled to cast its final vote on the sweeping plan on November 20. If approved, the closures and associated changes will take effect for the 2026-27 school year.
