Four days after launching its new Bus Stop Finder tool, Austin ISD reversed part of its transportation overhaul, announcing Aug. 7 it will restore neighborhood-level bus stops for middle school students.
What's changing
Middle schoolers who were set to be picked up at centralized "hub stops" alongside high schoolers this fall will instead return to stops closer to home. The district said updated middle school stops will appear in the Bus Stop Finder tool on a rolling basis over the next few days, with all stops finalized and public by Aug. 13.
High school students are not affected by the reversal. Their hub-stop assignments, which include elementary schools, libraries and community centers up to three miles from home, remain in place. The district has posted slides showing pickup and drop-off locations at each high school hub.
Why it matters
District officials tied the reversal to budget savings identified since the closure of Paredes Middle School and other cost reductions since the 2026-27 budget passed in June. Those savings, they said, will cover the added cost of restoring middle school stops.
Parents had raised concerns about the hub model since its announcement. Rob Amoroso, whose 12-year-old student was zoned for a middle school hub stop, told Community Impact that the change had left him without a workable plan, citing both his work schedule and safety concerns about his child navigating intersections alone. He called on the district to reconsider middle school students specifically as part of the hub model—one of the concerns officials said informed this week's decision.
"We are dedicated to ensuring that your students receive safe, reliable transportation so they have stable foundations to help them grow in the classroom," Executive Director of Transportation and Vehicle Services Kris Hafezizadeh wrote in a message to families.
What's next
AISD said it will begin testing the revised routes next week. Families can continue submitting feedback through the district's Secondary Hub Stops Transportation Model survey, which officials said will help shape any further stop additions or changes as the school year begins.
This story updates previous Community Impact reporting on the district's initial hub-stop rollout. Read that story here.
