AUSTIN (KXAN) — Facing a nearly $20 million budget shortfall and a potential state takeover, the Austin Independent School District has proposed a plan to close several schools and redraw school zone boundaries districtwide, impacting thousands of students and their families.
What are the main points of the plan?
- The plan is currently a draft. A final vote will be taken by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 20.
- Under the current plan, 13 schools will close.
- Four schools will convert to non-zoned Spanish dual language programs.
- One school will convert to a non-zoned Montessori school.
- Changes to school zones and feeder patterns will affect almost every school in the district.
With so many proposed changes, KXAN has created the following guide featuring frequently asked questions. You can jump to a specific question using these links:
- Why did the district introduce this plan?
- Which schools are slated to close?
- Where will students at closing schools go?
- How did the district decide which schools to close?
- How are the schools set to close rated by the state?
- What happens to turnaround plans at schools that are closing?
- What happens to bond money allocated to the closing schools?
- What will happen to the buildings if schools close?
- What are the new campus feeder patterns?
- Can my child stay at their current school?
- Can younger siblings go to the same school as their older siblings?
- When can I apply for a transfer for my child?
- Where will dual language programs be located?
- Where will the Montessori program be located?
- Where will International High School be located?
- How much money does the district expect to save through this plan?
- When will the plan be voted on?
- When would the changes take effect?
- What have board members said?
- How can parents give their feedback on the plan?
Why did the district introduce this plan?
For months, district leaders have hinted at the consolidation of schools in order to reduce the budget shortfall. Despite already implementing staff cuts and other cost-saving measures, the district passed a budget in June that included a $19.7 million deficit in the general fund, which is used to pay teacher salaries and cover daily operational expenses.
School enrollment in Central Texas: Which districts are growing the fastest?
Declining enrollment means the district is bringing in less money, as state funding is tied to enrollment and attendance. Over the past decade, Austin ISD has seen a 14.5% decrease in enrollment, from more than 84,000 students in the 2014-15 school year to about 72,000 in 2024-25.
“As we think about becoming more efficient, because we have limited resources, we need to make sure that those resources go to where they’re needed,” Superintendent Matias Segura told KXAN in August. “We have to think about doing things differently, and that means reducing our overall footprint within Austin ISD as far as structures and number of buildings.”
At the time, Segura said the district was looking at closing “more than a handful” of schools in a bid to reduce costs by $30 million.
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Which schools are slated to close?
In the current plan, AISD aims to close 13 schools. Eleven of those are elementary schools, while two are middle schools.
- Elementary schools: Barrington, Becker, Bryker Woods, Dawson, Maplewood, Oak Springs, Palm, Ridgetop, Sunset Valley, Widen, Winn Montessori
- Middle schools: Bedichek, Martin
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Where will students at closing schools go?
The table below shows which schools students will be reassigned to. The reassignment is based on the students’ address. Maps of the new school zone boundaries are available on AISD’s website.
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How did the district decide which schools to close?
In August, AISD released a score system that graded each school in the district based on capacity, building costs, condition, educational costs and educational suitability. Each school was given a grade of 1-5 in each category, 1 being the highest score and 5 being the lowest. The schools were then given an overall score. Here’s how the district scored the 13 schools set to close:
AISD said it then used four “guiding principles” when making decisions: minimize impact, balance enrollment, clean feeder patterns and long-term stability…