Austin ISD trustees approve immediate Paredes Middle School closure before Aug. 18 classes

Austin ISD trustees voted 7-2 on July 30 to close Paredes Middle School immediately, leaving families less than three weeks to prepare before the district’s 2026-27 school year is scheduled to begin Aug. 18.

Students in the former Paredes attendance boundary will be reassigned to Bailey or Mendez Middle School based on where they live. Austin ISD has submitted an amended turnaround plan to the Texas Education Agency, but the agency has not formally accepted it.

How students will be reassigned

Students who live east of Bluff Springs Road and north of Slaughter Lane will be reassigned to Mendez Middle School. Other students within the former Paredes boundary will transition to Bailey Middle School.

Austin ISD says transition work begins the week of Aug. 3. District staff will collect family intentions and transition requests through surveys, by phone and in person, while helping families complete enrollment and prepare students for their new campuses.

Transportation and staff placement

Transportation will be provided to students who live more than two miles from their assigned school, according to Austin ISD. Families can begin checking their 2026-27 bus routes Aug. 3.

The district said employees assigned to Paredes will be placed in other Austin ISD positions, including at Bailey and Mendez. The statement does not identify each employee’s final assignment.

Why Austin ISD made the decision

Superintendent Matias Segura recommended the closure after district leaders reviewed Paredes’ academic progress, staffing and readiness to serve students during the coming school year. Austin ISD said the school needed an urgent change in student supports and that the district wanted students moved into learning environments with stronger academic momentum.

Segura told parents and trustees that student progress data did not give him enough confidence that Paredes could improve quickly enough to avoid another unacceptable state accountability rating. He also cited educator vacancies, according to Austin Current.

Austin Current reported that Paredes had been placed under a state-mandated improvement plan after three consecutive failing accountability ratings. The closure proposal was announced July 22 and followed meetings with parents, staff and community members before trustees took final action July 30.

Trustees Fernando de Urioste and LaRessa Quintana voted against the closure. Austin Current reported that parents and community members raised concerns about the rushed timing and the effects of moving students shortly before classes begin.

What happens next

Austin ISD’s transition and enrollment assistance begins the week of Aug. 3, with families expected to receive information about assignments, transportation and support before the scheduled Aug. 18 start of classes.

The board-approved closure still has a state oversight step remaining. Austin ISD has submitted the amended turnaround plan to TEA for formal acceptance, so the agency’s review remains important to the plan’s final status.

Sources

• Austin ISD: Trustees vote to close Paredes Middle School
• Austin Current: Austin ISD trustees vote to close Paredes Middle School
• KUT: As state takeover pressure mounts, Austin ISD will close another middle school