Parents react to AISD proposal to close school

Parents question recent plans for school closures

Rudy Koski reports on the reactions that parents are having to AISD school closures.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Independent School District is proposing a plan to close Ridgetop Elementary school in north Austin.

Almost 400 children attend Ridgetop elementary in north-central Austin. The plan, proposed by AISD is to close the campus in 2023 and consolidate classes into Reilly elementary.

Meetings about the AISD school closure plan started in late September. The meetings seem to be more about letting parents vent than collecting information to amend the plan to close 12 schools.

Parents of the students affected by these school closures are speaking out. Clara Bradbury is part of a Coalition of parents asking for a time out. "I think right now the trustees are being asked to vote on something that is just impossible to vote on. I think they need to go back to the drawing board and come back with something meaningful,” said Bradbury.

According to AISD, the closures will consolidate resources and will help improve the education model. Bradbury questions that, and is worried a merger will create problems. "They haven’t been able to answer where the funding is going to come from, to make this happen,” said Clara Bradbury.

The next community meeting is October 8th at Pecan Springs elementary. A vote on the closure plan by the school board is scheduled for November 18th.