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Austin ISD’s Draft School Closures Meet Resistance as Trustee Opposes Plan

A Nov. 20 board vote follows listening sessions prompted by deficit warnings plus TEA takeover risk.

Overview

  • District leaders outlined a draft to close 13 campuses and redraw attendance boundaries, framing the move as a response to persistent enrollment declines and budget pressure.
  • Superintendent Matias Segura projected roughly $20.4 million in annual savings and cautioned that inaction could jeopardize the district’s ability to make payroll.
  • Enrollment has fallen 14.5% over a decade to about 72,000 students, with roughly 25,000 of more than 95,000 seats sitting empty across campuses.
  • About one-third of campuses received failing TEA scores, and several targeted schools have consecutive failing ratings that require turnaround plans to avoid state intervention.
  • Trustee Kathryn Whitley Chu publicly rejected the current draft and urged more community input, as the district holds public meetings ahead of a Nov. 20 vote with any consolidations set for 2026–27 if approved.