The Austin Independent School District (AISD) Board of Trustees is approaching a crucial deadline, with a Nov. 21 date set for deciding which schools may close for the next academic year. This timeline replaces the original Nov. 14 deadline, given the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) recent directive mandating Turnaround Plans (TAPs) for schools rated ‘unacceptable’ based on STAAR results.
Despite the pressing need for discussion on these TAPs and the potential school closures, the board’s monthly meeting on Sept. 25 revealed a surprising lack of focus on these issues. Instead, trustees dedicated much of their time to revising the Lone Star Governance (LSG) scorecard utilized by the TEA to evaluate AISD’s performance.
During this critical period, board members expressed a palpable tension as they grappled with TEA rules that require them to concentrate on ‘student outcomes’—specifically STAAR results—during at least half of their meeting time. The board’s discussions on closures, consolidations, and budgetary concerns appeared to fall outside this necessary focus, leading to feelings of frustration among trustees.
Board President Lynn Boswell highlighted the board’s significant challenges, saying, “We do have TAPs to talk about. We do have a difficult budget to talk about. We do have school closures to talk about. We have profoundly important things to talk about… But we lose this. We lose time to talk about other things too, and I just want to really name that.”
Superintendent Matias Segura provided a brief overview of the district’s ongoing budget crisis, warning that without major intervention, the AISD would exhaust its funds by the next school year. This looming financial disaster risks emergency borrowing, substantial layoffs, and possibly a takeover of AISD by the TEA, forcing a loss of local control. “We would lose our ability to do this [process] in a way that reflects our values and how we would do it, and give that power, most notably, over to the state,” Segura stated.
A presentation on STAAR results from 2019 to 2025 underscored the stark disparities in student performance. Findings revealed that 52% of economically disadvantaged students in grades 3-8 failed to meet grade-level standards, compared to just 10% of their more affluent peers.
In an effort to streamline their responsibilities, the trustees took action to reduce their state-mandated workload by voting to cut two goals from their LSG scorecard. Originally, the board was required to report on five areas but decided to remove caregiver engagement and early learning initiatives, retaining a focus on dual-language programs, underserved students, and academic success accountability.
Trustees expressed concerns that the mandated reporting could be seen as performative, detracting from their ability to effectively address these issues within the schools. Segura reassured members that despite the reduction in written reports, AISD would continue to prioritize progress in these areas, stating, “I don’t know if we can say this. We’re going to do all of this. It’s going to continue.”
Trustee Kevin Foster clarified that the goal reduction aimed to alleviate the reporting burden while fostering productive work in these areas. “The reduction of these [goals] does not have to do with the attention paid… Quite the contrary. I want more work to be freely done in these areas by alleviating the reporting burden.” Trustee LaRessa Quintana echoed his sentiments with a simple affirmation: “Ditto.”
As the Nov. 21 deadline approaches, it remains critical for the board to balance their immediate responsibilities with long-term goals, ensuring they meet both the demands of the TEA and the educational needs of their students.
image source from：austinchronicle
