East Austin Schools Among Those That Could Be Shuttered To Offset $1B Bond

AUSTIN, TX — A news station recently obtained the list of Austin ISD schools that could potentially be shuttered as the district pursues a $1 million bond referendum in November for district-wide improvements.

The properties potentially on the sales block are collectively valued at $73.9 million, the sale of which would offset the issuance of debt in the form of bonds, KXAN reported. The AISD school buildings that could be sold, leading to closure as educational facilities are:

• Norman Elementary, 4001 Tannehill Lane.
• Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, 6401 N Hampton Dr.
• Rosedale School, 2117 W 49th St,
• Sanchez Elementary, 73 San Marcos St.
• Metz Elementary, 84 Robert Martinez Jr St.
• Brooke Elementary, 3100 E 4th St.

District officials said they are targeting aging facilities with low school enrollment for potential closure, the news station reported.

Related story: Austin ISD Trustees Approve $990M Bond Package And $1.4B Budget

“At this time we do not have schools specifically identified, but I do think after those conversations with our community we will then provide that information to our different school communities,” Austin ISD Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz said at a recent press conference.

Trustee Jayme Mathias told KXAN he spent the month of April and May holding community meetings with families at Sanchez, Zavala, Metz and Brooke Elementary to apprise them of district plans. All of those schools are located east of Interstate 35 between 7th Street and Lady Bird Lake. Those attending the meetings were shown a demographer's PowerPoint presentation indicating that the district cannot sustain the four, low-enrollment elementary schools over the course of the next decade.

>>> Read the full story at KXAN

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