AUSTIN — The Austin Independent School District has postponed most districtwide school boundary realignment changes until the 2028-29 school year under a revised plan that could also include additional school closures, Superintendent Matias Segura announced Friday.
Segura said in an email to families that the district extended the timeline to allow officials to make more sustainable long-term decisions. The revised plan divides the boundary realignment into two phases.
The district first proposed a boundary realignment in 2025 but delayed the effort after community opposition. District officials resumed work on a new plan in May that would adjust attendance zones for elementary, middle and high schools beginning in the 2027-28 school year to balance enrollment.
AISD has also held public meetings to gather feedback from families, some of whom raised concerns about the effects of the proposed changes and the district’s stability.
The first phase will focus on campuses receiving students from the 10 schools that closed this summer, schools projected to exceed enrollment capacity, and the establishment of an attendance zone for Marshall Middle School.
Segura said some campuses would otherwise require portable classrooms that the district cannot afford. A 2024 audit found AISD could reduce costs by removing portable classrooms at several campuses.
District officials will release a draft of the Phase 1 changes on Aug. 7. The AISD board of trustees is expected to vote on the proposal in September. If approved, the changes will take effect in the 2027-28 school year.
The second phase will include districtwide boundary changes and revisions to feeder patterns, which determine the sequence of schools students attend based on their home address. District officials will begin developing that phase in January 2027.
Segura said the second phase could also include additional school closures.
In 2025, AISD proposed closing 13 schools because of declining enrollment and recurring budget deficits. The district later removed three campuses from the list and closed 10 schools at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
AISD has lost more than 3,000 students during the past school year. Segura said continued enrollment declines could leave more campuses under-enrolled and increase financial pressure on the district. He did not identify schools that could be considered for future closures.
The district plans to release a rubric and timeline for Phase 2 this fall. The school board is expected to vote on the districtwide changes in 2027 before implementation in the 2028-29 school year.
KUT requested additional information from AISD.
