Austin ISD holds community meetings on futures of six campuses slated to close, including option to lease properties to help budget
March 12, 2026
- What: Austin ISD is holding a series of community meetings to gather input on what should happen to six campuses the district plans to close by the end of the school year.
- Who: Austin Independent School District officials are asking residents, families and staff for feedback as they consider reuse options, including leasing the properties.
- Where: The process is taking place within Austin ISD, with meetings open to community members across the district.
- Why it matters: Leasing closed school buildings could generate revenue to help address the district’s budget shortfall and affect neighborhood services and student placements.
Austin Independent School District officials are inviting families, staff and neighbors to take part in a set of community meetings as they plan next steps for six schools scheduled to close by the end of the school year. District leaders say they want local feedback on reuse options before moving forward with formal proposals.
One option under review is leasing the vacant campus buildings to outside groups, which district staff say could produce ongoing revenue to ease budget pressures. Officials are presenting leasing as one tool among several, rather than the single predetermined outcome for each property.
District leaders emphasized the meetings are designed to surface community priorities, such as whether sites should host nonprofit services, early childhood programs, or commercial leases that could pay rent back to the district. Attendees can offer preferences on how properties might support neighborhood needs while also contributing to district finances.
School closures will require student relocations and shifts in staffing, and those practical impacts are part of the conversation at the sessions. Parents and educators are weighing how reuse plans might affect transportation, enrollment patterns and access to local services once campuses are vacated.
Officials say the meetings will inform a staff recommendation that trustees will review later, and any leasing or disposal plan would need board approval before taking effect. District staff plan to compile community input and present options that balance financial benefit with long-term community goals.
Community members can find meeting schedules and materials through the district’s outreach channels, and officials encourage residents to attend or submit written feedback if they cannot make a session. Leaders note that public input will play a role in shaping how the closed campuses are repurposed and how potential revenue might be used to address the district’s fiscal challenges.
Sources
- Austin ISD meeting notices and announcements
- District budget documents and staff reports
- Community meeting materials and statements from AISD officials