Maybe. This one trick might help.
In an effort to keep the Austin school district independent, Mayor Kirk Watson is pushing to close two chronically-failing middle schools that triggered the state’s takeover law. He’ll need parents’ help to do it.
Watson’s plan, released in his newsletter Wednesday morning, cites a little-known state rule that would give weight to a parent petition asking for the schools’ closure.
Last month, both Webb and Burnet middle schools received preliminary fifth failing accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency for the 2025-26 school year, triggering state intervention that could close the schools or see a board of managers replace the elected school board. Austin ISD has until Sept. 11 to appeal the preliminary ratings, but if either rating becomes final the state is mandated under law to intervene. The manner of intervention is up to Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
However, Watson cites a caveat in the state education code which mandates Morath follow the will of a parent petition submitted to TEA if the parents of a majority of enrolled students request closure of the schools instead of a district-wide takeover. The plan comes at a high-stakes moment for Austin ISD. TEA declined the district’s plan to avoid takeover by surrendering control of three failing schools to an external operator earlier this year. Watson told Austin Current he remained optimistic that takeover was not the only option left for Austin ISD and was in frequent talks with Austin ISD leadership over potential outcomes.
“Texas law gives the parents at Webb and Burnet a powerful voice,” Watson’s statement said Wednesday. “That gives this community a path to act instead of simply waiting for something to happen to us. It gives families most impacted a say in what comes next.”
A parent petition to close the schools instead of taking over the district would have to be signed by the parents of the majority of students enrolled at each failing school and submitted to Superintendent Matias Segura for validation by Oct. 15. Segura would then have to submit a validated copy to Morath no later than Dec. 1. Morath would be obligated by law to order the action requested by the parents.
If Austin ISD’s board of trustees presents a written request to the commissioner opposing the parent petition, the commissioner could choose to side with the board.
See here for the previous update. That’s the key, this has to come from the parents of the schools in question and not the Austin ISD Board of Trustees. I’ll quote from the Watson Wire email about a key detail.
There’s a path worth pursuing short of the state replacing the elected leadership of an entire school district serving roughly 70,000 children.
And, make no mistake, if the state takes over the district, we can reasonably expect that Webb, Burnet, and other district campuses will be closed.
Texas law gives the parents at Webb and Burnet a powerful voice. If a majority of parents petition for closure, the Commissioner must close the campuses rather than replace AISD’s elected board.
That gives this community a path to act instead of simply waiting for something to happen to us. It gives the families most impacted a say in what comes next.
And Austin has an opportunity to do this without breaking these school communities apart.
A brand-new $158 million, state of the art, building is going up right now at Burnet Middle School’s existing site.
Superintendent Segura’s past work gives me confidence that he would develop an ambitious plan that refuses to disperse students from struggling campuses among existing middle schools. I trust him, with the support of the elected board, to create a new school in a brand-new facility that keeps each school community together.
And I believe he will listen to the families and work with the community to fundamentally rethink what surrounds those students and families: academic interventions, exceptional teachers and leadership, mental-health and family support, extended learning opportunities, community partnerships and dedicated support services.
We can expect him to include whatever the evidence tells us these children need to succeed, and we can expect him to listen to the parents most impacted.
Then I think Commissioner Morath should give this plan and the districtwide reforms already underway the time to demonstrate results.
We’re not asking the state to suspend accountability. We’re asking the state to let results determine what happens next.
I think the key to maybe getting parents on board is the assertion that these schools, plus some others, will be closed anyway in a taken-over Austin ISD. If that’s the case, then at least this approach will maintain local control over the district and a chance to rebuild those schools in a better and more sustainable way. I’d at least be open to the pitch if I were a Webb or Burnet parent.
But I’m not, and I have no idea if this will catch on, or if it could be done in a timely fashion. I like that Mayor Watson is at least looking at all the options and not just giving in. It would have been nice to have known about this in HISD a couple of years ago, whether or not that path would have been taken. Too late now, and maybe too late for AISD, but perhaps other districts may benefit some day. Good luck, y’all.