AUSTIN, Texas — Austin ISD students returned to class for the first day of school as the district began a major transition: 11 campuses have closed, sending thousands of students to different schools across the district.
The closures are a significant test for Central Texas’ largest school district as it works to reduce costs and reshape how it uses neighborhood campuses, while also promising families that students will have access to stronger programs and more support at their new schools.
At Bailey Middle School, families arriving Monday described a mix of first-day nerves and uncertainty after a rapid shift prompted by the closure of Paredes Middle School less than three weeks before the first bell. As students walked in, many navigated an unfamiliar campus for the first time.
Heather Treviño said her son attended Paredes last year as a sixth grader and is now a seventh grader at Bailey after the Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to close Paredes.
“It definitely was a sudden change. And, you know, not everybody could be as fortunate as we are that we didn’t have too many barriers for this transition into the new school,” Treviño said.
The district’s Board of Trustees approved a recommendation to close the school just weeks ahead of the school year. According to the district, 55 percent of the students at Paredes were slated to attend Bailey this year, which could be more than 300 students.
Treviño said Bailey staff helped make the transition feel more comfortable.
“I feel like they’ve been open arms with the kids. And I feel like my son will be pretty comfortable and be able to navigate around the school and everything with the help of all the staff, because everybody seemed very helpful,” she said. “And they were ready for us to transition in there,” Treviño said.
Something else Treviño said helped to make them feel comfortable, was seeing familiar faces at Bailey from Paredes.
“We did go to pick up some equipment for football, and my son was happy that one of the coaches from Paredes was there. And so he’ll be able to work with him,” said Treviño. “And then we’ve seen some counselors and things like that there. So yeah, it’s been nice to at least see that, you know, we have some familiar faces there at the school, and just have that extra bit of comfort for them to help them out there.”
Welton Pickering said his student is starting sixth grade at Bailey and described a mix of excitement and emotion.
“It’s a lot of emotion, you know?” Pickering said. “Having like a junior higher now growing up, you know, preteen, all the all the feelings and emotions of being a parent to that age group, especially this day.”
Asked about issues the district is battling and whether he had questions or concerns, Pickering said he was focused on the work administrators put into welcoming both new and returning students.
“I’m just blown away about Austin ISD just because of the size and the scope. Of everything and how they’re able to make sure every kid feels seen on the first day of school,” Pickering said.
While a smooth first day is one measure of how the transition is going, the larger test will come over the rest of the school year as the district works to show students are better off after the moves.
Superintendent Segura will sit down with CBS Austin Thursday morning. You can submit your questions that you’d like to ask the district to the CBS Austin team.