AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Independent School District families and students won’t be the only ones impacted if the district moves forward with its proposed consolidation plan.
The plan calls for 13 schools to be closed, and teachers in many of those schools are wondering where they will end up.
Bedichek Middle School Band Director Andria Hyden said she would hate to see her school close.
“It’s a phenomenal place to work,” Hyden said. “The kids are amazing, I love my kids, I love my job.”
Hyden has been teaching for 17 years, and for the past few years she has been at Bedichek where she said she has seen her kids become more engaged in band.
“I took over as the head director three years ago. We built our program from 93 kids up to over 200 kids,” Hyden said.
She’s worried all her progress and her program will disappear though.
“I am heartbroken for my families, I am heartbroken for my students, I am heartbroken for the people that I work with and the uncertainty that is coming from it,” Hyden said.
KXAN asked AISD Superintendent Matias Segura what proposed closures means for current AISD teachers and staff earlier this month.
“We have created a process that gives us a very, very high probability of keeping the vast majority of our staff with us,” Segura said.
Austin ISD said it would prioritize current teachers and work to get them into other schools, but there is no guarantee.
“I won’t say guarantee just because guarantee is a very difficult, very high bar and there are a lot of moving pieces, but this is not a riff, we are not breaking contracts. We are not even thinking about contracts. We are wanting to support our staff who have supported AISD.”
Hyden said she doesn’t know what will happen, but she has worked hard to get to the spot she is in.
“They told me, well we will offer you a position it may not be band, it could be orchestra, it could be high school, it could be elementary school, there is a lot of uncertainty,” Hyden said.
Will teachers leave the district if they aren’t teaching the class or grade they prefer?
That question, like many questions being raised right now, is unknown. But we could soon find out following the Nov. 20 vote on the draft plan.
Hyden said she plans to continue making her voice heard and fighting for the families, students and teachers at her school.
“I think public education should be prioritized period,” Hyden said.
Bedichek is one of 12 Austin ISD campuses that, in addition to Dobie, Burnet and Webb Middle schools, will require a state-approved “turnaround” plan after earning its third consecutive “F” rating from the state.
The draft consolidation plan proposes closing seven of those F-rated campuses. The plan also proposes closing 4 B-rated campuses and 1 A-rated campus.
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