Austin ISD hopes door-to-door initiative will help reconnect with families who have left district schools

Austin ISD is currently seeking volunteers to participate in Operation Connect, a new initiative to reconnect with families who live within Austin ISD’s boundaries but have transferred out of the district.

The door-to-door effort by district staff and local volunteers will take place April 10 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., according to a news release by the district. Volunteers will receive a district T-shirt and breakfast during the event and can sign up here.

Despite an increase in population overall in the city of Austin, AISD has seen a 7,992 students drop in enrollment over the past five years, resulting in a reduction in state funding for school programs. During the 2019-20 school year, a total of 16,440 students who live in AISD’s boundaries had transferred into other programs, according to data by the Texas Education Agency.

Of those students,14,435 attend charter schools, nearly double the number of students who attended charters in the district in 2010. Similarly, the number of charter school campuses operating within AISD’s boundaries has more than doubled, with 47 schools in operation in 2020 according to nonprofit Raise Your Hand Texas.

The April 10 event by AISD will specifically target neighborhoods in Northeast Austin, where some campuses are underenrolled or face competition with charter school options.

“Working together in teams across Austin, the district would like to connect with families to learn about their educational needs and priorities—as well as welcome more learners to its family of schools as they prepare for college, career and life,” the district said in the news release about Operation Connect.