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Is this a list of school closures?

No.

What does the school consolidation score mean?

The school consolidation score is not a list of school closures. It’s a score produced from the Data Rubric, which evaluates all campuses based on factors like enrollment, building condition, and costs. The list will help the district identify schools where resources and student needs may be out of alignment, so we can prioritize which campuses to review first for potential consolidations, boundary, transfer policy and program changes, or other solutions.

The list is a starting point for discussion and planning, not a final decision about any school’s future.

What is the Data Rubric?

The Data Rubric is the first part of a two step process used by the district to guide decisions related to potential school consolidations and boundary changes. It ensures that decisions are transparent, data-informed and aligned with district values and strategic goals.

Will the rubric determine which schools are closed?

No, the rubric does not determine school closures. It is a tool that helps the district weigh multiple factors. 

If my school is toward the bottom of the list, does that mean we won’t be considered for any changes?

No. Being at the bottom of the list does not mean your school won’t be considered for changes. The list is just a starting point and it’s paired with other important information, like transfer rates, academic programs, feeder patterns and state accountability ratings.

For example, a school with a low rubric score could still be reviewed if it’s part of a broader plan to balance enrollment across nearby campuses or if its accountability data shows a need for stronger student support.

What factors make up a school’s score?

Each school’s score is made up of:

• Utilization (35%) – How full or empty the school is compared to its ideal capacity.
• Cost per Student – Building & Operations (25%) – Spending on things like maintenance, utilities and supplies.
• Facility Condition (20%) – The physical state of the building.
• Cost per Student – Staffing & Academic Support (15%) – Spending on teachers, training and academic resources.
• Educational Suitability (5%) – How well the building supports learning goals.

How were the different weights assigned to each factor in the rubric?

Weights were assigned based on the factors that would have the biggest impact on short term and long-term costs. We developed draft weights in the early summer and gathered feedback from our board of trustees and community through our school consolidations workshops over the summer. Based on that feedback, we ultimately reduced the weight of Facility Condition from 25% to 20% in response to concerns about historic disparities in how bond funds have been allocated in 91����. We also increased the Cost per Student (Staffing & Academic Support) weight from 10% to 15% to further reduce the emphasis on building and enrollment factors.

What is the Support & Resource Index (SRI) and why does it matter?

The SRI adjusts a school’s score based on the needs of its students, so we can limit the impact on families who may have more difficulty adjusting to change. It looks at the percentage of students who:

• Receive Special Education services
• Are English Language Learners
• Are classified as economically disadvantaged 
• Lack stable housing
• Are historically underserved

Schools with higher SRI scores have their total score multiplied by a smaller factor, which lowers their priority for immediate changes.

How was the rubric developed?

The rubric was developed by district leaders with input from families, community members, staff and the board of trustees. It reflects both technical data and community values.

How will the rubric be used in decision-making?

The rubric is used to evaluate all campuses. It helps us understand where we have misalignment between our resources and the students our schools serve and provides consistency and transparency in the decision-making process. 

What happens if a school is too full?

If a school has more students than it was built for, the district might:

• Adjust boundaries
• Limit transfers in
• Move certain programs
• If the building is also in poor shape or costly to run, consider combining it with another school that has space.

What happens if a school is too empty?

If a school has more space than students:

• We might expand its attendance boundary
• Add more supports or specialized programs to attract families
• Combine it with nearby schools
  Close the building if enrollment can’t be improved

How will the district decide what to do about buildings in poor condition?

If repairs are too costly, the district may close or combine the school with another. We are not planning changes that depend on future bond money, except in limited cases where existing bond funds can follow students to a new school.

Why does cost per student matter?

Some schools cost more to run because of building upkeep, utilities, or program needs. If those higher costs are tied to essential programs or services, we may keep them as is. If not, we may look at increasing enrollment or consolidating.

Will decisions be made one school at a time or by area?

We will look at schools in their broader context. If multiple schools in the same area are misaligned — one too full, one too empty, another too costly — we’ll review them together to find the best overall solution.

What are the Guiding principles that will guide decisions on boundary changes?

91���� will follow four main principles when making decisions about changing school boundaries:

1. Minimize Impacts
2. Balance Enrollment
3. Align Feeder Patterns
4. Focus on Long-term Stability

These principles will help ensure boundary changes are fair, data-driven and supportive of strong school communities.

What does “Minimize Impacts” mean as a guiding principle for boundary changes?

91���� wants to reduce disruptions to students, families and schools. Here’s how:

• Make it easier and safer to get to school by considering travel distance and major roadways when changing boundaries.
• Reduce impact on underserved communities, especially students who are economically disadvantaged.
• Limit disruptions to special programs (e.g., special education, dual language, free-and-reduced lunch).
• Create a phasing plan so new boundaries go into effect over time, allowing students, where possible, to stay at their current school even if their boundary changes.
• Be flexible and creative by thinking about regional needs and possibly exploring new school models (like schools that serve PK–8th grade, Early Childhood–2nd grade or 3rd–5th grade).

What does “Balance Enrollment” mean as a guiding principle for boundary changes?

91���� aims to use buildings and resources efficiently so schools aren’t too empty or overcrowded:

• Make better use of seats: Aim for at least 85% of seats used across the district by August 2026.
• Change boundaries and transfer policies to avoid schools being over 106% full or under 61% filled by August 2030.
  • Boundary changes apply to students who live in a school’s attendance zone ("reside" students) and begin in August 2026.
  • Transfer policy changes affect students who don’t live in the school zone ("transfer" students) and help meet the 2030 goal.
• Improve enrollment transparency so families can easily see how full each school is and whether there’s a waitlist.

What does “Align Feeder Patterns” mean as a guiding principle for boundary changes?

AISD wants to create clear, consistent pathways for students as they move from elementary to middle to high school:

• Keep groups of students together through their school journey.
• Avoid creating “island zones” — small areas that are zoned to schools different from nearby neighborhoods.
• Create a boundary for the new Marshall Middle School.
• Coordinate special programs (like dual language or fine arts programs) so they align across grade levels and feeder patterns.

What does “Focus on Long-term Stability” mean as a guiding principle for boundary changes?

91���� is planning for the future, not just reacting to our current state:

• Use long-term enrollment trends, not just this year’s data.
• Consider how Austin neighborhoods are changing, especially where families are moving in or out.
• Avoid placing special programs at schools without room to grow.
• Review boundaries and transfer policies regularly to keep them current and fair.
• Not relying on future bond funds in current decision-making.

What role does the additional reference data play in decision-making?

The district is also considering additional data that is not part of the Data Rubric but is still important to look at. The data will help us make more sustainable and feasible decisions as we begin to develop scenarios. For example, it is important to know if a school’s student population is made up of a lot of transfer students when we consider boundary changes so that we don’t unintentionally over or under-enroll a school. It’s also important to understand why a school might be over or under-enrolled to determine what steps we can take that would effectively address the situation.

What additional data is the district considering that wasn’t included in the rubric? 

The district is looking at the following data:

• Academic program offerings
• Feeder patter data – shows the percentage of students who are assigned to schools that either allow them to stay in groups with their peers or splits them from their peers as they go from elementary to middle to high school
• Transfer rates including “transfer in” and transfer out”
• Percent of Seats Filled based on Population
• State academic accountability ratings

Why is the district looking at transfer data?

Transfer data helps us understand how families are choosing schools. By comparing how many students live in each school’s attendance zone with how many attend, we can see what’s working well and where there may be challenges.

What does “transfer rate” mean?

Transfer rate is the percentage of students who attend a school other than the one they’re zoned for. It’s made up of two parts:

• Transfer In – Students from outside the attendance zone who choose the school.
• Transfer Out – Students who live in the zone but attend a different school.

What does a high “Transfer In” rate mean?

This means that many students are choosing to transfer into the school rather than attending their assigned neighborhood school. It usually means the school is attracting students from other zones. This can be for a number of reasons like special programs, academic offerings, extracurriculars, school ratings or reputation.

What does a high “Transfer Out” rate mean?

This means that many students who are assigned to the school are choosing to attend a different school. It can signal that the school may not be offering what many neighborhood families are looking for.

What is “Percent of Seats Filled based on Population”?

This compares the number of students who live in the school’s attendance zone to the school’s total capacity. It shows whether the school could serve all neighborhood students if they chose to attend their zoned school.

How will state accountability ratings factor into decision-making around school consolidations?

Accountability will not drive decisions around consolidations and closures. However, accountability challenges will be considered as we work to create a system that gives schools what they need to thrive. As we consolidate, it’s important to understand which schools, or combinations of consolidated schools, will need targeted support to to meet accountability standards moving forward.

How will special education services be affected by the process? 

91���� is committed to an inclusive approach to Special Education. While the consolidation process may bring changes to school assignments and staffing, our dedication to meeting the needs of students remains the same, no matter where they attend school. Our goal is to ensure an inclusive system that supports every learner.

What could happen to specialized programs like Dual Language or IB?

Specialized programs will be reviewed carefully to determine how we can best support high-quality, fully staffed programs that are accessible to students across the district. This means some programs may stay in place, move to other schools or change in structure.

How will bond projects and new buildings be considered in the process?

As we make decisions, we will be considering the status of ongoing 2022 bond work and acknowledging if a school was recently built or renovated as part of the 2017 bond. We want to ensure we make the most of these big investments and maintain our promises to the community as much as possible. That being said, even if a campus has received or is slated to receive a bond project, they may still be affected during the consolidation process. Some projects are already completed (such as the 2017 bond projects) or far enough in the construction process that we would not consider stopping the work. These buildings will remain but we could still consider shifts in how they are used. Some projects have not yet started construction or construction is early enough that we would still consider stopping work if consolidation makes sense. If this happens, to the extent possible, bond money will follow the students and could help improve the receiving school.

What’s the timeline for decisions?

• October 9: Draft plan presented at Board Information Session and shared with the community for feedback 
• November 20: Board scheduled to vote on the plan.

How will the community be involved?

We will share the draft plan publicly, hold meetings in different parts of the district, and provide opportunities for online feedback before final recommendations are made.

How will the district support students and families through changes?

We are working on a transition process to help ease changes such as boundary shifts, program moves or school consolidations, so that students and families have the resources they need to adjust successfully.

91���� is facing a significant budget deficit—over $100 million—due to declining enrollment, stagnant state funding and reduced property tax revenue. Student enrollment has decreased by more than 10,000 students over the last 10 years, leaving the district with 25,000 empty seats. Put simply, our resources are spread too thinly and it's putting a strain on our schools. Consolidating schools allows us to operate fewer, better-resourced schools and preserve an exceptional student experience.

Consolidation means combining schools to create stronger, more fully resourced campuses. The process entails school closures, boundary changes, evaluating transfer policies and repurposing facilities. This is not just about closing buildings—it's about aligning our resources to ensure every student learns in a well-resourced, fully staffed school—with strong programs and rich opportunities.

Not necessarily. While the possibility of closure was on the table for some schools due to a series of failing state accountability ratings, the school consolidation process is a bigger conversation. We are analyzing our entire district looking for opportunities to consolidate schools. While accountability ratings will be a factor we consider, a high accountability rating does not mean that a school would not be considered as part of a consolidation plan. All schools will be evaluated to look at opportunities for addressing under and over-enrollment and getting students into the best possible learning environments.

Over the past year alone, we've cut $63 million from Central Office operations. This includes eliminating central positions, reducing service contracts and cutting central departmental budgets — all efforts to avoid impacts on the classroom. While we're committed to continuing to find savings at Central Office, we're running out of options that don't significantly impact our students and schools. Although this process will be difficult, when the choice is between making harmful budget cuts — like increasing class sizes, reducing teacher planning time or cutting programs — and consolidating our resources into fewer, better-resourced schools, the choice is clear.

We're building a transparent decision-making tool that reflects community values and priorities. Your response to the Consolidations Survey will inform this process. This tool will help identify which schools may be considered for consolidation, inform how we evaluate boundaries and transfer policy changes and ensure that every student is placed in the best possible learning environment.

This spring, we're laying the groundwork—gathering community input to develop board priorities and a draft decision-making tool.

This summer we'll test and refine the tool and begin analyzing data to identify which campuses could be considered for consolidation and will inform our boundary and transfer policy evaluation process. The second phase of analysis will use more contextual data to understand what consolidations are logistically feasible, how boundaries and policies will be impacted and which scenarios best respond to the priorities identified by the board and community.

By mid fall, we'll share specific proposals with communities and gather input before the board of trustees makes any final decisions.

We anticipate having a detailed plan outlining specific school consolidations, associated boundary and policy changes, and transition plans by mid fall, 2025.

A transition plan for school consolidation is a roadmap outlining how the district will merge students, staff, resources and campus cultures from closing schools into receiving ones. Our goal is to minimize disruption and ensure a smooth, supportive experience for the affected school communities.

Community voices and values are central to this process. The initial engagement will focus on building awareness and driving responses to the survey. Over the summer, we'll host virtual and in-person meetings to provide updates as we develop and refine the board priorities and decision-making tool. We'll then begin developing and testing options. Once affected schools are identified, we'll meet with those communities to listen and consider refinements for the transition plans.

Community engagement will NOT be around whether or not specific schools should close but instead, around how we are making our decisions (e.g. values and priorities) and how we can make the eventual transition as smooth as possible.

Absolutely. We're committed to ensuring a smooth transition with comprehensive support for students, families and staff. In the spring and summer, we are creating templates and identifying transition leadership for all the components of the transition from logistical support (e.g. moving, transportation) to social-emotional and instructional support for both closing and receiving campuses. Once a consolidation package is recommended, impacted campuses and communities will be engaged to finalize these plans and ensure all supports are accounted for.

No. While financial sustainability is a necessary goal, this plan is ultimately about putting our resources where they benefit students most. It's about building a stronger, more equitable district where every child has access to the resources, support and opportunities they deserve.

Our current spending is unsustainable. The district is operating with a deficit budget, and at our current rate, our savings will be depleted by the 2026-27 school year. Without these reserves, the district would be unable to meet basic obligations like paying our staff. To avoid this kind of crisis, we would need to resort to emergency borrowing. This action would come with significant costs in the form of interest and fees, further straining our limited resources.

If we allow this to happen, the Texas Education Agency would have the authority to take over the school district, replacing our locally elected school board with a TEA-appointed board of managers and even replacing our superintendent and other staff.

We recognize that schools are community assets. We are committed to exploring options with affected communities that are responsive to their needs and make sense financially and strategically. We also recognize that there are costs associated with maintaining closed buildings and those place a burden on the District's budget.

As part of the approval of the district's consolidation plan, the board of trustees will be asked to provide district staff with guidelines for how any closed school buildings should be used in the future.