Austin Independent School District announced that Bryker Woods, Maplewood and Palm elementary schools will no longer be included in the district's immediate school closures plan.
AISD Superintendent Matias Segura announced the change Tuesday night in an email to parents.
Segura said the school board will move forward with its plan to relocate dual language programs, close 10 other schools and change boundary lines that are part of the district’s continued turnaround plans at more than a dozen schools.
The board will vote on that plan Nov. 20. Districtwide rezoning plans will not be up for a vote until fall 2026, the superintendent said.
“The turnaround and improvement plans are a required process to ensure our schools meet state standards,” Segura said in the email. “We strive to implement these plans while preserving and strengthening what makes us Austin ISD — our vibrant, loving, and innovative school communities.”
The plans are required by the Texas Education Agency after schools received consecutive failing accountability ratings. If those schools continue to receive failing grades, the entire district could face a state takeover similar to what is ongoing in the Houston Independent School District.
This update comes less than a week after district officials said they planned to move forward with the larger boundary and enrollment changes.
Gerardo Coronado, who has a second grader in Bryker Woods Elementary, said postponing the vote was unexpected, but he hopes it was the result of receiving community feedback.
Bryker Woods parents have been fighting for the school to remain open since the initial plan was released. The school is over capacity, in part because it's the only international baccalaureate elementary school in the district.
“That’s something we feel strongly about. I mean there’s many kids that have the option to go to a charter school or private school, and I think as a community, many parents do a great job of trying to recruit kids or neighborhood kids to the district school,” Coronado said.
Segura acknowledged the community’s role in the postponement announcement.
“This will allow us to ensure all ideas from our community can be considered in our plan,” Segura said in the email. “It is extremely important that when we make generational changes, we take the time to ensure community voice is thoroughly considered and that the process is done with fidelity, transparency, and integrity.”
At the same time, he said the district’s budget deficit and declining enrollment require urgent action, and the board will take a vote on the other changes outlined in the larger plan next school year.
The school district and board members did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication of this story.
