Austin ISD releases new data on consolidation plan

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As school restarts in Central Texas, the Austin Independent School District is sharing more insight about how it plans to consolidate and even close some of its schools.

It released new data and a score system with metrics that AISD leaders are using to decide how they'll make some tough decisions by the fall.

The data shows the campuses with the highest number of open seats, with under-enrolled schools existing across the city.

AISD said it's goal is to have all campuses reach at least 85% enrollment by the 2026-27 school year. 

Enrollment and Cost Per Student hold the most weight when it comes to calculating a total score.

"It's intended to identify where we have misalignments, so that we as a team, as an organization, can take the next step in diving deep into each campus," AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said. "This is not a consolidation list, it's not a closure list, it's not a boundary change list ... It is very possible that anywhere on this list that a school will be they could be impacted, because we are a network, and so what you do to one school, or one change that you might make is going to have impacts to adjacent schools as well."

Austin ISD said the data staff has gathered gives a more comprehensive look at addressing the needs of the district in its entirety.

Segura said their team will give a final recommendation to the school board for its consolidation plan in October and is still open to feedback.

The plan will be finalized around the same time families will, for the first time, be able to use taxpayer dollars to pay for private school through school vouchers.