Editor’s Note: The video above is KXAN’s previous coverage.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Now that Austin Independent School District’s consolidation and district boundary draft plans have been released, parents say they will be making their voices heard.
The district says they will hold virtual town halls over the next few weeks to allow for questions and to provide information about the plans.
“We need to ask that the administration look at this differently and instead of harming children try to take a more thoughtful approach and I think we can give them some data that at least the board of trustees might look at, I don’t actually have faith in the central office,” said Delicia Mclean, a parent from Becker Elementary School.
On Friday, AISD released its preliminary draft plan to close 11 elementary schools, including a Montessori school, and two middle schools.
The schools listed for closure in the draft plan include: Bedichek and Martin middle schools, as well as Barrington, Becker, Bryker Woods, Dawson, Maplewood, Oak Springs, Palm, Ridgetop, Sunset Valley, Widen and Winn Montessori elementary schools.
The plan also calls for changes to existing school boundaries as well; AISD says about 98 percent of schools will have substantial boundary changes.
“It is a draft plan. We have multiple opportunities to engage with the community over the course of the next 5 weeks,” said Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura. “Nothing is final until the board ultimately votes. The one thing I will say is doing nothing is not an option.”
How to weigh in
Austin ISD will be offering virtual open houses to walk through the proposed changes.
The virtual meeting will be held on October 14, October 16, October 25 and October 27 with a final vote on the plan being decided on by the AISD board of trustees on November 20.
For more on the virtual meetings click here.
If the plan is approved, changes will begin in the 2026-2027 school year.
AISD Trustee weighs in
“Today, the boot of the State is on AISD’s throat and we are forced to make decisions that will change our community for generations. The AISD administration has put forward a proposal for school consolidations and closures in response to years of underfunding from the state. I understand the intentions and pressures that led to this proposal, but based on this current draft I will be voting NO,” Austin ISD Trustee Kathryn Whitley Chu said in a statement to KXAN.
Whitley Chu said the district should not be closing schools that are in demand and have strong academic results.
Parents told KXAN they will continue to fight against the closures and hope to have further discussions with AISD trustees and administration.
“We should not be closing historic schools that tie to our community together and we need to have the patience to allow the community to study the proposal and effectively weigh in,” said Whitley Chu in a statement.
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