Austin ISD parents, educators and community members launched a new coalition opposing a potential state takeover of the district, one day before the Texas Education Agency released accountability ratings for the 2025-26 school year.
Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth failing rating Aug. 14, per TEA data, leaving the fate of the district's school board in the hands of the state.
“Education Austin is opposed to any takeover of Austin ISD,” Education Austin vice president Trasell Underwood said at an Aug. 13 news conference.
The gist
The group, Keep Austin Schools Independent, or KASI, held a press conference outside Eastside Early College High School, where speakers briefed reporters on the consequences of a state takeover and how the coalition plans to organize against one.
KASI describes itself as a districtwide, nonpartisan coalition of parents, students, educators and community organizations, according to the coalition website.
State law allows TEA to take over an entire district if just one campus is low-performing for five consecutive years. The agency is expected to announce its plan for the district once the appeal deadline has passed, with a takeover possibly starting as early as January, according to the TEA’s 2026 timeline.
Why it matters
KASI said a takeover would replace AISD's nine elected trustees with a state-appointed board of managers with no local accountability to parents or taxpayers.
The coalition pointed to Houston ISD, under state control for three years, as a preview. The coalition referenced its 12 schools closed, an enrollment decline of 13,000 students and the conversion of 141 of 274 campuses to a "New Education System" model with scripted, camera-monitored classrooms.
AISD parent Patti Everitt cited Houston losing 35 to 40% of its teachers annually—nearly 12,000 total—and said Fort Worth ISD has lost roughly 25% of its teachers in six months and is projected to lose 10,000 students this school year.
What they're saying
Crystal Brothwell Hernandez, president of the Austin Council of Parent and Teacher Associations, said the coalition wants "real accountability, the kind that comes with an elected board, who hires the superintendent, not a political board of managers," rather than a superintendent with “no stake in our community.”
Underwood said she worries a takeover "will make it harder for employees and community to speak up and try to make things better," pointing to Houston, where the uncertified teacher rate reportedly rose from under 5% before the takeover to 25% after.
"Our teachers and staff in Austin are qualified. They're smart, they're dedicated, and we should listen more to their ideas,” she said.
Everitt explained the mechanics of a takeover, stating that members of a board of managers aren't required to live in the district they oversee, and said the board "is not accountable to taxpayers or parents."
"[We] have no vote, and no representation over decisions made for our children," she said. “[Austin is] the only district in the state that TEA denied a turnaround partnership."
During Q&A, Sharon Bane acknowledged the district isn't perfect, noting Burnet and Webb "were making improvements before a dramatic turnaround plan was hoisted on them with a very short timeline," and argued "a cookie-cutter, top-down plan is not going to be the solution."
What's next
With Burnet and Webb having earned their fifth failing accountability score, AISD is now at risk for a state takeover, which could mean closure of the schools with five failing ratings or a total replacement of the district's elected board, according to Community Impact reporting.
Lucy McClure urged attendees to sign the petition on the coalition website, tag their social media handles in back-to-school posts, put up yard signs and join upcoming house meetings, block walks and tabling events.
KASI's first Block Walk is scheduled for Sept. 13, per the coalition’s website.
Community Impact will continue covering AISD's accountability ratings and any resulting state action as more information becomes available.
