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. He also suggested the district could vote on more school closures then.
Segura said Maplewood, Bryker Woods and Palm elementary schools were taken off the list because they are not impacted by turnaround plans or the district’s efforts to move its dual language programs to neighborhoods where more emergent bilingual students live.
The turnaround 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.
Seven of the 10 schools proposed for closure are required to submit turnaround plans by Nov. 14 and implement them as soon as they are approved.
Those schools are Winn Montessori School, Barrington, Dawson, Oak Springs and Widen elementary schools and Bedichek and Martin middle schools.
If the board of trustees decides to close those schools, the turnaround plans will be applied to the schools where a majority of students transfer.
This update comes less than a week after district officials said they planned to move forward with larger boundary and enrollment changes.
Along with the delay announcement, Segura said the district has launched an internal investigation into at least one employee over concerns about the employee’s ability to be responsive to community ideas.
The district confirmed Ali Ghilarducci, senior executive director of communications and community engagement, and Raechel French, director of planning services, were placed on administrative leave. Both Ghilarducci and French have been involved in communicating with the public about the plan.
“When we take community feedback … I need to ensure that those ideas are thoroughly vetted, analyzed and brought to me for consideration,” Segura said. “If I cannot ensure that that is happening, then I cannot ensure that community voice, in the refinement stage, is incorporated to the degree that meets my expectation.”
Segura said decreasing the number of school closures could shrink the district’s estimated revenue from roughly $25 million to $20 million. But he said postponing the vote on the district boundary changes will ensure all community input is considered.
“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,” he said in an email.
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.
