AISD’s plan to close schools prompts discussion on boosting equity in Austin public schools

The Austin School Board approved its guidelines for closing and consolidating schools Monday night, but much of the discussion ahead of the vote just before midnight centered on increasing equity in Austin public schools.

Trustees Ann Teich and Jayme Mathias proposed measures that sought to balance access to nearby schools and boost socioeconomic diversity in public schools.

Right now, schools in the Austin Independent School District are heavily segregated along income levels, and some see the district’s plan to close or consolidate schools as a chance to bring more balance to schools. Supporters say redrawing boundaries for schools in the district to include students from different neighborhoods could go a long way to achieve that.

But those board members calling for socioeconomic integration in schools cautioned against crosstown busing, which they say could lead to hours-long bus rides for students zoned for new schools.

LaTisha Anderson, who represents much of East Austin, experienced crosstown busing in the 1980s. She said, while she’d like to see school integration, the district needs to think about how that would look in schools.

“OK, so say we integrate the schools. How are we going to address the institutional racism?” Anderson asked. “It is not fun walking into a school that you’re not familiar with … to only feel like somehow that staff (doesn’t) want you there. I’ve experienced that, and I don’t want a child or a parent to go through that.”

Ultimately, the board did not approve the measure.

Teich also proposed adding a new guideline to cap how many low-income families experience consolidation at 53 percent. She argued the cap would prevent closures at schools with large numbers of low-income students.

Mathias said the cap will be crucial as the district addresses “difficult conversations like institutional racism” during the closure and consolidation process.

Board members who voted against these two measures said they need more time before ultimately deciding on a specific plan to increase equity. However, trustees did support the idea of creating a cap in the next few months.

The board approved the rest of the guiding principles, which aim to boost students’ access to specialized classes and extracurricular activities, as well as making sure students attend renovated schools.

Now that the framework for closing and consolidating is set, the district staff will spend the summer weighing its options. The district hopes to finalize a handful of scenarios for closures and consolidations before a final vote in October.

This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT. Photo by Gabriel C. Pérez/KUT.

The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.