AUSTIN, Texas – For many families, Brooke Elementary has been an anchor in East Austin. Now though, it is one of the schools possibly facing closure as the Austin Independent School District looks at consolidating schools across the city.
- Last English language meeting Tuesday meeting
- School Board retreat to discuss school changes on October 26
“It feels like a betrayal. It really does,” said Ruth Tovar, a mother of two students at Brooke.
News that the school's future is in question fired up preservation activists who believe the proposed changes are unfair.
“We believe it is time for the district to start over. We believe that they need a plan with better guiding principles,” said former school board trustee and community activist Paul Saldana.
To make up for millions in budget losses caused by families moving to the outskirts and city suburbs, a number of contentious proposals have been floated.
“They actually wanna break up our school family. Our school would be divided and half of the students would go to Linder and the other half to Govalle,” said Tovar.
Brooke Elementary isn’t the only school on the potential chopping block. Families with students at Dawson, Joslin, Sims, Maplewood, Metz, Palm, Pease, and more have all expressed similar concerns.
One of those concerns is that having more students under fewer roofs will cause problems with class sizes.
“If my child has less one on one time with a teacher, that’s less time they have to engage,” said Tovar.
Additionally, parents have questions about the 2017 bond and projects already promised to Brooke students.
“I was like, 'Wait a minute. I just gave you a billion dollars. It’s not enough? When is it enough?'” she said.
For the district’s part, everything is on the table for the sake of moving schools into the 21st century in an equitable way. But some parents are still skeptical.
“How is it equitable when most of the schools being closed down are minorities?” she said.
For many, Brooke has been an anchor in the community but it’s future now is unclear.
Wednesday evening there is a districtwide community meeting to talk about possible school changes from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Greater Calvary Bible Church on Berkman Drive.