Austin ISD’s School Closure Plan Sparks Outrage Among Parents

UPDATE: The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has announced plans to close several schools and redraw attendance zone lines, igniting fierce backlash from parents across the community. This controversial move could disrupt the educational paths of thousands of students, forcing families into schools with significantly lower performance ratings.

Parents are expressing their anger on social media, with one stating, “We were formerly Zilker and now proposed to be rezoned to Galindo Elementary. I can’t find anything about Galindo other than poor ratings.” Currently, 92% of students at Zilker are reading proficiently, while only 59% achieve the same at Galindo. Many families are now questioning their housing choices, having bought homes based on proximity to high-performing schools.

For instance, when Barrington Elementary closes, some students will be reassigned to the high-performing Guerrero Thompson, where 76% of students read proficiently. Yet, many others, living closer to Guerrero, will instead be sent to Wooldridge Elementary, with a troubling 42% proficiency rate. This shift highlights a disturbing trend within public school systems nationwide: students are effectively sorted into “winners and losers” based on their home addresses.

The AISD’s decision echoes the painful history of redlining, as discriminatory school assignment maps mirror boundaries established decades ago. A striking example can be found on Manor Road in the Cherrywood neighborhood, where the same street that once divided “desirable” and “hazardous” areas now marks the boundary for Maplewood Elementary. Here, 85% of students read proficiently, while those south of the line are assigned to Campbell Elementary, where only 78% achieve the same level.

Parents in the Maplewood area are alarmed that AISD’s proposed maps could force their children to cross Manor Boulevard to attend a school that does not meet their educational standards. As one parent expressed, “That line down the middle of Manor Boulevard was always unjust, but we shouldn’t just replace it with another exclusionary line.”

Community advocates are calling for a complete overhaul of the current assignment system. Tim DeRoche, founder of Available to All, argues for abolishing student assignment maps altogether. “Every child should have an equal shot of enrolling at local schools without the burden of arbitrary boundaries,” he stated in a recent interview.

The situation in Austin mirrors the transformation seen in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, where the school system was entirely reinvented. New Orleans abolished attendance zones in favor of a centralized enrollment process, allowing families to apply to any school district-wide. This shift has led to improved student performance, graduation rates, and college attendance.

As the AISD moves forward with its plans, the question remains: What will happen next? Parents and community leaders are urging the district to consider more equitable solutions, such as reserving a percentage of seats for children outside their immediate zones or allowing families to apply for schools based on proximity, rather than arbitrary lines on a map.

The urgency of this issue cannot be understated. As parents grapple with the implications of these changes, the Austin community watches closely, demanding transparency and fairness in public education. The outcome could redefine access to quality education for generations of students in Austin.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to develop.