Austin Independent School District (AISD) has provided an update on its accountability ratings and outlined the steps it will take in response to state requirements. The district is addressing interventions for several campuses following official guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Twelve AISD campuses received a third consecutive unacceptable rating and are required to develop a Turnaround Plan (TAP). These plans must be submitted by November 14, approved by TEA, and implemented during this school year. Eleven additional campuses received a second unacceptable count and will also need to create TAPs this fall, with implementation scheduled for the 2026-27 school year. One campus must develop a TAP based on federal accountability standards. Nine campuses that received their first unacceptable count are required to develop Targeted Improvement Plans (TIPs), which focus on specific areas of improvement.
Superintendent Matias Segura addressed the importance of these efforts: “We know that families, students, educators, and our community are invested in every school in Austin ISD. Our community’s love for public schools is one of our strengths, and we are committed to doing this work in partnership with our community.”
The district has been preparing for these interventions since late spring. Teams have worked with campus leadership and staff to begin implementing strategies associated with TIPs and TAPs at affected schools.
Accountability ratings now play a role in the ongoing process of school consolidation and boundary adjustments within AISD. While initial consolidation criteria did not include accountability ratings, they now affect how schools may be combined or how students can be reassigned. Any campus requiring a TIP or TAP will retain that requirement even if students move to another school.
“Our goal has been to get our students in the best possible learning environments while making sure that no student is overlooked in the process,” Segura stated. He added, “This means we cannot simply assign students to better-rated schools to address accountability challenges. Any school that currently requires a TIP or TAP will bring that requirement with them if students are reassigned to another school.”
Failure to improve struggling schools could result in state intervention if any campus receives five failing grades consecutively.
This week, meetings begin with staff at the twelve campuses facing three consecutive unacceptable ratings. These schools require immediate attention due to critical challenges and intensive intervention needs.
“For these schools, an intervention could include a restart process or closing the school and reassigning students as part of our district’s consolidation and boundary change process,” said Segura. He clarified that while these conversations start with those most affected, other campuses are also being considered as part of broader planning.
Important upcoming dates include an October 9 Board Information Session where preliminary consolidation plans as well as draft turnaround and improvement plans will be presented; a November 6 session featuring recommended plans along with board votes on TIPs and TAPs; November 14 as the deadline for submitting all required plans to TEA; and November 20 when final decisions regarding consolidations will be made by board vote.
Segura acknowledged the difficulty of these discussions: “We understand these are incredibly difficult conversations, and we are committed to approaching them with the utmost care and transparency.” He continued, “Our goal is to make decisions that not only support our students but also ensure the long-term sustainability and vitality of the public schools that have served Austin students for more than 140 years.”
He closed by emphasizing community collaboration: “As we move forward, I ask that we all extend grace and patience to one another, united in our shared purpose of moving our district and students forward together.”
