From efforts to improve enrollment to intervention plans at struggling schools, here are five of the biggest stories happening in Austin ISD.
State education agency approves 22 of 24 AISD turnaround plans
The Texas Education Agency has approved turnaround plans for 22 out of 24 low-performing campuses.
The agency has requested additional details for the two remaining campuses—Widén Elementary and Winn Montessori. The district anticipates receiving approval for these campuses after submitting the requested information, according to AISD information.
The AISD board of trustees approved turnaround plans for the 24 campuses in November. Twenty-three of these campuses received two or more consecutive unacceptable A-F ratings from the state, while one failed to meet federal accountability standards.
Next school year, the district plans to close seven of these campuses, restart five campuses and implement implement school improvement plans at the remaining 12 schools.
AISD board approves sale of former Brooke Elementary
At a Jan. 29 meeting, the AISD board approved selling of the former Brooke Elementary site to Trammell Crow Company and High Street. The board’s vote will allow Superintendent Matias Segura to negotiate and execute a sale with the developer.
AISD closed the East Austin campus alongside three additional elementaries in 2020.
The district was planning to sell to campus for $19 million to reduce a more than $100 million budget shortfall, according to district documents from September.
Community Impact reached out to Austin ISD to learn more about the proposed development but did not receive a response as of press time.
District to consider future attendance boundary changes, school closures
The AISD board could vote to close more schools and rezone thousands of students this fall.
In early November, the district walked back on an initial proposal to close Palm, Bryker Woods and Maplewood elementaries. The district changed course after community members shared concerns about some district leaders in charge of applying community feedback to the district’s school consolidation plan.
In an online update posted Jan. 29, Segura said the district had concluded an internal investigation, which determined “that the integrity of the process was maintained throughout the entire process.”
The district now plans to resume work and community engagement around potential boundary changes this spring before deciding in October whether to rezone or close additional campuses in the 2027-28 school year, according to AISD information.
AISD launches effort to combat declining enrollment
AISD officials are launching new efforts to enroll more students in the district.
The district’s enrollment has declined by more than 10,000 students over the last six school years, according to district data. AISD’s enrollment has been impacted by a high cost of living in Austin, lower birth rates, the expansion of charter, private and homeschooling options, as well as changes to federal immigration policies, Segura said at a Jan. 29 meeting.
“Enrollment is something that has to be improved upon,” Segura said. “It needs to be something that is shared between all AISD employees and staff but also done in partnership with our community. … We need to put energy and resources behind it.”
The district is aiming to improve its process for re-registering existing students, including supporting students at closing campuses, Segura said. Additionally, the district plans to bolster its recruitment efforts by hosting campus tours and community events, he said.
By the end of February, AISD is seeking to finalize a strategic plan related to enrollment and recruitment for the next three school years, according to district documents.
Bryker Woods Elementary to undergo renovations
Bryker Woods Elementary is set to receive $3 million in renovation work, including HVAC, electrical, cyber security upgrades along with new windows. The board approved Novium Group LLC as the contractor for the 2022 bond project at the Jan. 29 meeting.
During the meeting, several parents shared concerns about the campus receiving improvements ahead of the 2027-28 school year in which the board may vote to close the campus.
“Decisions like this reinforce the concern that AISD isn’t being a careful steward of public dollars, and that puts any future bond election at risk,” AISD community member Libby Chennell said. “The way to fix it is not withhold improvements, it’s to commit to keeping it open.”