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Austin ISD board meeting, Jul 28, 2026

2 h 19 min · 4 public speakers

School closures ▶ 3:09Reading and test scores ▶ 17:49

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 2 h 19 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Austin ISD administration proposes closing Paredes Middle, reassigning students to Bailey and Mendez 37:02

  • Speakers at public comment raised the proposed Paredes closure and a proposed 8-class-day schedule. 5:30
  • The administration proposed amending the Paredes Middle School turnaround plan from a restart to a reassignment of students to Bailey Middle School and Mendez Middle School, with the turnaround plan assigned to Bailey. 36:22
  • Andrew Gonzales asked about the timing of the recommendation and how confident staff were that the amended turnaround plan would be approved, and David Kauffman asked about plans for special education students. 53:04
  • Lynn Boswell said the turnaround plan modification would be considered for a vote at the next board meeting on July 30th. 2:17:21

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (11)
  1. Opening and public comment 0:22
    • Lynn Boswell called the information session to order and said 4 people signed up to speak in person and 9 left a recorded message. 0:22
    • Several speakers at public comment raised the timing of the proposed Paredes closure and middle school staffing. 2:56
    • Several callers spoke about a proposed 8-class-day schedule and the time available for classes and teacher planning. 8:20
  2. Student achievement and turnaround plan review 17:49
    • The superintendent's report said the district is implementing 24 turnaround plans that were approved on November 20th and submitted to the Texas Education Agency on November 21st. 21:23
    • A district staff member said Paredes has 3 UAs and a 4th UA is a real possibility. 26:55
    • The staff member said Paredes currently has 18 vacancies, 14 of them teaching vacancies, and would not meet turnaround plan requirements for a restart. 26:55
  3. Proposed reassignment and transition plan 34:41
    • A staff member said the district proposes that 55% of Paredes students go to Bailey and 45% go to Mendez. 37:08
    • A staff member said in-person registration would take place at Paredes from August 3rd and August 6th, along with a phone bank and an email survey. 41:34
    • A district staff member said the district expects a net savings in overall cost and that the change would not be a cost increase. 47:53
  4. Questions on timing and state approval 52:26
    • One board member asked what circumstances justified asking the board to make such a large decision at this point in time. 53:34
    • A staff member said the district is not in a position to ensure Paredes students get what they need to grow academically in the 26⁠-⁠27 school year. 54:04
    • Andrew Gonzales asked how confident the administration was that the Texas Education Agency would approve the amendment, and a staff member said, "I am confident." 1:00:09
  5. Campus capacity, student transition and uniforms 1:09:00
    • Andrew Gonzales asked whether there was adequate space at the receiving campuses, and a staff member said the district is confident the students will fit. 1:09:00
    • A staff member said Bailey and Mendez staff had reached out about including incoming students in transition camps. 1:11:28
    • Andrew Gonzales asked about financial support for uniforms, and a staff member said the district has not identified the offset but expects to find a solution. 1:15:21
  6. Data indicators and family outreach 1:19:08
    • A trustee asked whether MAP testing was supposed to provide indicators, and a staff member said it is not sound practice to use one data point to base a projection for an entire school. 1:19:10
    • A staff member said disruptions in the spring affected gains the campus had started to see in the fall. 1:23:44
    • A staff member said it needs to be crystal clear to families what their students will experience on day one, including bus stops. 1:27:14
  7. Accountability projections and rescoring 1:28:05
    • Kathryn Whitley Chu asked whether the administration expects Paredes to receive a 4th F, and a staff member said there is a high probability of a 4th UA. 1:28:11
    • A staff member said 12 schools had 3 UA ratings at the start of the school year that could have gone to 4 UA. 1:29:45
    • Kathryn Whitley Chu asked what rescoring costs the district, and a staff member said it might be about $300,000. 1:39:26
  8. Other campuses and Mendez uniforms 1:40:10
    • LaRessa Quintana asked how many other schools are in this position and whether uniforms are in the best interest of students. 1:40:46
    • A staff member said this is the only school being brought forward for a change in the turnaround plan and that the district is looking at a solution to make families whole for uniform costs. 1:41:29
  9. Alternatives, special education and staffing 1:45:42
    • David Kauffman asked what the plan would be if the board did not support the proposal, and a staff member said the plan approved on November 21st would continue. 1:45:46
    • A speaker said approximately 300 students receive special education services at Paredes, with about 110 zoned to Mendez and about 190 zoned to Bailey. 1:54:37
    • David Kauffman asked whether classified staff could be surveyed, and a staff member said the survey can be expanded. ~1:58:14
  10. Board president questions and updates 2:04:43
    • Lynn Boswell asked for confirmation that no more closure recommendations would come to the board, and a staff member said yes. 2:05:03
    • A staff member said the district will now give the state assessment 3 times a year and is reviewing its own testing. 2:11:15
    • One board member asked for frequent updates to the board and community, and a staff member said the administration can commit to that. 2:13:56
  11. Agenda preview and adjournment 2:16:56
    • Lynn Boswell said the Paredes Middle School turnaround plan modification would be considered for a vote at the next board meeting on July 30th before the board moved to executive session. 2:17:21
    • The meeting was adjourned at 9:53 PM. 2:18:26

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Austin ISD Board of Trustees Information Session: July 28, 2026”