AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Independent School District has released a draft proposal to close 13 campuses - 11 elementary schools and two middle schools - in response to declining student enrollment and budgetary constraints.

Among the schools listed for potential closure is Becker Elementary, a campus that has become a cornerstone for many families, including Joseph Arriaga, who bikes his son there each morning. If the plan moves forward, Arriaga’s daily commute will shift to Sanchez Elementary, located across I-35.

"It's heartbreaking,” Arriaga said. “Like, I think, you know, parents all over the city are probably feeling a lot of what we're feeling here at Becker and that's, you know, heartbreak.”

The proposed school closures would also bring major changes to Austin ISD’s dual-lang

See Full Page