On Friday, Austin Independent School District announced it was reversing course on a previously announced transportation hub model for middle school bus routes. The original plan would have replaced many traditional neighborhood stops for Austin ISD students with centralized hub stops.
“After careful consideration, we have decided to restore neighborhood-level bus stops for middle school students,” Kris Hafezizadeh, executive director for Austin ISD Transportation & Vehicle Services, said in a news release.
The district said the reversal came after receiving feedback on the transportation model it unveiled last week.
“With the closure of Paredes Middle School and other identified savings since the adoption of the 2026-27 budget, Austin ISD has decided to apply these savings to accommodate increased transportation costs related to adding back these stops,” Hafezizadeh said.
Under the revised plan, neighborhood stops will now be restored for middle school students, while the hub model will remain in place for high school students.
“As middle school neighborhood stops are added back over the next few days, there will be changes occurring in the Bus Stop Finder,” Hafezizadeh said. “All stops for middle school students will be final and public Thursday, Aug. 13.”
At the time of publication, Chron was awaiting a response from Austin ISD about what prompted the reversal, how much it would cost to restore neighborhood stops and whether the district anticipated any additional changes to the hub model.
Austin ISD’s first day of classes is scheduled for Aug. 18, according to the district’s 2026-27 calendar, meaning middle school bus stops are expected to be finalized just five days before students return to the classroom.