Austin ISD plans to release updated draft on its consolidation plan

Deadline of AISD's consolidation plan approaches

The November 20 deadline is quickly approaching as Austin ISD moves forward with its consolidation and boundary change plan.

AUSTIN, Texas - The November 20 deadline is quickly approaching as Austin ISD moves forward with its consolidation and boundary change plan.

The district is expected to release its updated draft plan on Friday, Oct. 31 — which could close 13 schools.

Many in the community are eagerly awaiting that updated plan, which could include significant changes to where their children will attend school.

Austin ISD's consolidation plan

The backstory:

Austin ISD is grappling with 25,000 empty classroom seats, a nearly $20 million budget shortfall, and low performance at some campuses.

"I can tell that if we don't do these now, all it's going to do is make those decisions and those impacts introduce greater risks to our system," said Superintendent, Matias Segura.

To address these issues, the district’s draft plan released earlier this month proposes boundary changes at 98% of schools. Thirteen campuses are also being considered for closure, possibly the largest closure and boundary realignment in district history.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: AISD parents speak out against consolidation plan

For weeks, families have been raising concerns over Austin ISD's proposed school closures and consolidations. FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King reports.

"We arrived at this draft plan through a process and now the time is to really dive deep and see if we have it right, how can we improve, but I cannot stop a hard decision based on just one community's voice without understanding how it impacts the whole," said Segura.

Since its release, more than 7,000 parents and community members have submitted feedback on the proposal.

In a board meeting Wednesday, Superintendent Segura said the updated plan could include changes to transfer policies, transportation, and school boundaries.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents seek alternatives to AISD school closures

The future of several Austin ISD schools remains uncertain as the district is forced to make some difficult decisions. Community members are now airing their frustrations.

The district also held a media briefing Thursday just ahead of the updated plan’s release on Friday. FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King asked Segura why the district chose to wait until Friday to share the plan publicly.

"Because there are lots of attachments, there are a lot of documents and what I want to be really thoughtful about is that when it goes out, it has to go out everybody, and everybody has to be able to receive it. For us to communicate in the way that we value who we are, I have to be really thoughtful about who gets what, when I want to start with our principals, I want to start with our staff, with our community, and then we go out," said Segura.

What's next:

The plan released on Friday at 1 p.m. will not be the final plan.

There could be more changes before a final plan is drafted and voted on next month.