School closures on the horizon in Austin
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Austin ISD officials are working toward a plan to close schools over funding concerns and amid declining enrollment.
Why it matters: District leaders say their resources are spread too thin and consolidation will allow more investment in fewer campuses.
Driving the news: District officials are holding workshops with parents and teachers this week to solicit their input on closures and introduce a data tool the district will use to evaluate which schools to close and combine, and how to redraw boundaries.
- Officials will publish the results of the first part of the data rubric on Aug. 14.
- The rubric will provide each school with a score that indicates how well a school's size, building condition, number of students, and costs all work together, according to district spokesperson Jorge Maldonado.
What they're saying: "This score will help us figure out which schools might need changes, like new boundaries, different transfer rules, building repairs, program updates, and/or which should close or join with another school," Maldonado told Axios in an email.
Zoom in: Every Austin ISD school will be be evaluated for potential closure, officials say.
- It's not clear how many schools will close.
- The district met with more than 430 community members in virtual meetings last month, and roughly 150 people have attended each virtual workshop this week.
The big picture: School districts across the state and nation have been forced to close over the loss of pandemic-era funding, declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.
- The White House has signaled that fewer federal dollars may be coming, which Austin ISD uses toward teacher salaries, contracted services and more.
The other side: Critics fear the consolidations will disproportionately affect East Austin and low-income neighborhoods, while making it harder for students to travel to school.
- Parents have also raised concerns about the potential loss of bilingual education, dual-language programs, and special-education services, according to the district.
Flashback: The district last closed schools in 2019, when three of the four shuttered campuses were in East Austin. The district's equity officer called the process "flawed" and "inequitable."
Between the lines: Research has shown that school closures can lead to worse academic outcomes, along with lower housing values, higher crime rates, and diminished social fabric of a neighborhood.
By the numbers: Austin ISD enrollment has dropped by about 10,000 over the past decade to below 74,000.
- The trend mirrors that in other urban districts, as families move to suburbs for more affordable housing, and public charter schools and private schools increasingly compete with traditional public schools.
What's next: The district will hold in-person workshops from 5:30-8:30pm Tuesday at Odom Elementary and from noon-3pm Wednesday at T.A. Brown Elementary.
- The district will announce a preliminary recommendation in October, and the board will vote on a final plan in November.
- Closures will go into effect as early as the 2026-27 school year, Maldonado said.