AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Independent School District announced Tuesday it will hold off on its plan to implement district-wide school closures and consolidations after thousands of community members raised concerns.
In a letter sent to parents Tuesday night, Superintendent Matias Segura said the school board will move forward with a Nov. 20 vote for parts of the drafted proposal. Three of the 13 elementary and middle schools set to close — Palm, Bryker Woods and Maplewood elementary schools — will no longer be included in the list of potential closures. Instead, the board will determine the relocation of schoolwide dual language programs and boundary changes for campuses in need of turnaround plans.
Seven schools that were proposed to close require turnaround plans, a long-term set of changes if a campus receives multiple “F” ratings in a row from the Texas Education Agency. Decisions for the remaining campuses not impacted by these boundary changes will be postponed for the fall of 2026.
“In the past few days, members of our community have brought forward significant concerns about the integrity of specific individuals leading the process of applying community feedback to the updated plan,” Segura said. “We take those concerns seriously and will thoroughly investigate the claims raised by members of our Austin ISD community.”
Austin ISD released its initial draft consolidation plan on Oct. 3, addressing a nearly $20 million budget shortfall and decreasing enrollment over the last decade. Less than a week ago, the district shared a revised draft which would have allowed parents to keep their children at their currently zoned school and for younger siblings to attend that school as well.
Over 7,200 community members responded to the initial proposal through the district’s online comment card.
Throughout the month, parents from schools across the district, including Bryker Woods, Maplewood and Palm, have organized efforts to save their schools from closure. On Oct. 29, Maplewood’s parents coordinated a “Save Maplewood” concert during a school board meeting, while Bryker Woods’ parents organized rallies in support of the school.
Maplewood Elementary School was the only A-rated school set to close, however the district said the building is in unsatisfactory condition and over-enrolled at 122% capacity. Students from Maplewood would have been sent to D-rated Campbell Elementary School, which will require a state-approved turnaround plan.
The Bryker Woods campus is also over-enrolled, and its building is unsatisfactory condition, according to the district. However, parents urged the board to reconsider, noting the B-rated school’s academic success.
According to the district, Palm Elementary School’s building is in average condition, and, at 46% capacity, the campus is currently under-enrolled. Students from Palm would have moved to C-rated Perez Elementary School.
Segura said the district will pick up its comprehensive boundary plan and balanced enrollment effort at the start of the upcoming spring semester.
“While I have confidence in the overall plan and our path forward, we must ensure that the plan and the leaders implementing it do so with clarity, integrity, and transparency,” Segura said. “That’s why we are postponing a portion of the process to ensure our district and our community can move forward together.”