Austin ISD community express concerns about proposal to close Paredes Middle School

AUSTIN, Texas - Just weeks before the start of the new school year, Austin ISD parents, students and staff are grappling with a proposal to shut down Paredes Middle School.

A board session was held on Tuesday to give the community its first opportunity to weigh in on the potential closure.

The district gave the community a better picture of what the new potential closure could look like, but there still are a lot of questions remaining.

The backstory:

Community members voiced their concerns to the school board and made one thing clear: they don’t want their school closed.

August 18 was the day students and staff at Paredes Middle School were supposed to start the school year. Now, they could be moving elsewhere.

"Closing Paredes a month before school starts feels confusing, abrupt, and harmful. We've been told we cannot afford to wait until we can give these students access to stronger academic environments right now. Why is this suddenly an emergency?" said Sharon Vane, a former AISD parent.

Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura made the announcement proposing the immediate closure of Paredes Middle School right before the start of the year.

The decision was made after the preliminary accountability ratings were released indicating a fourth consecutive 'F' grade for Paredes.

Under Texas law, four straight failing years authorize the Texas Education Agency to mandate a campus shutdown or allow the state to take over the district.

"The campus currently has 3 failing grades, so we do want to highlight that a 4th is a possibility for Paredes, so I think I would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge that publicly," said Lakesha Drinks, AISD chief of staff.

On Tuesday, the Paredes Middle School community voiced their concerns about the potential looming closure.

"This is not a new challenge. Presenting a school closure as an urgent solution just weeks before the start of the school year reflects at best a failure to plan proactively," said Laurie Solis, VP of Austin council of PTA's.

"Three weeks before school starts, 61% of our middle school students, really all AISD students, teachers, and the community, deserve a clear plan and the confidence that every campus has what students need to succeed," said Amy Moore, concerned community member.

Dig deeper:

If approved by the board of trustees, Paredes students would move into Bailey or Mendez middle school based on their addresses.

The district shared a 13-page turnaround modification plan ahead of the meeting. It says the facility will not function as a school for the next year. The property will undergo an evaluation process to determine if it'll be landmarked or repurposed.

About 353 incoming 7th and 8th grade students would have attended Paredes. Roughly 55% would be moved to Bailey Middle School, while the other 45% would attend Mendez Middle School.

Bailey Middle School received a C rating and Mendez received a B last August.  

"When we look at where we are specifically at Paredes Middle School, and we think about what is needed to ensure that our students are supported as we start the 2026–27 school year, I felt strongly that the turnaround plan needed to be amended from a restart to a reassignment to both Bailey and Mendez school," said Segura.

While Segura says the closing impacts many, he says the move will allow students to immediately connect through expanded academic programs, fine arts, athletics, and environments equipped to accelerate their growth.

As for the Paredes staff, AISD says every employee will be placed in a position within the district. There will be no layoffs as a result of the decision.  

There’s a trustee listening session on Wednesday, July 29, at the Paredes Middle School library at 6 p.m.

A special board voting meeting will happen on Thursday, July 30, at 6 p.m.