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AISD Says It Won't Be Easy To Decide Which Schools To Close And Promises Significant Public Input

Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT
Austin Independent School District Chief Officer for School Leadership Michelle Cavazos addresses a community meeting earlier this year. She says multiple factors - not just low enrollment - will guide the district in deciding about school closures.

Austin Independent School District Superintendent Paul Cruz said he hopes the Board of Trustees will approve a plan Monday nightto begin the process of evaluating which schools will be closed or consolidated in the face of declining enrollment and a big budget gap. But some board members fear it’s allhappening way too quickly and without adequate public input.

KUT talked with the district in depth about how it is going to proceed.

"Not easily," said AISD Chief Officer for School Leadership Michelle Cavazos.

"There's a lot of emotion that's tied to it," she said. “When we look at schools, for some families, their family has been going to the school for years. It's the cornerstone of the community. So it's not a process or decision that's taken lightly."

KUT talked with Cavazos recently about how the district concluded it had to close and consolidate schools and how it will decide which ones to target:

Jennifer Stayton is the local host for NPR's "Morning Edition" on KUT. Got a tip? Email her at jstayton@kut.org. Follow her on X @jenstayton.
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