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Students, parents urge Leander ISD board to keep International Baccalaureate program
Summary
Dozens of students, parents and teachers used the citizen comment period at a Leander ISD Board of Trustees meeting to urge trustees not to eliminate the district's International Baccalaureate program, saying cuts would hurt college preparation and could drive families and teachers from the district.
Dozens of students, parents and teachers used the citizen comment portion of a Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting to plead with trustees to retain the district's International Baccalaureate (IB) offerings.
Speakers said the IB program provides in-depth, research-based courses that differ from Advanced Placement by giving students extended, two‑year study options and international recognition. Multiple student speakers warned that removing IB would push families and teachers to leave the district and would damage the district’s reputation as an academic draw.
Why it matters: Trustees are now working through budget scenarios the administration says are needed to close a projected multi‑million‑dollar gap in the 2025–26 budget. Board members have said some difficult staffing and program choices may be required; community members told trustees cutting IB would have consequences beyond short‑term savings.
Students and parents described the IB program as an academic pathway they chose specifically when they moved to or enrolled in Leander ISD. Several speakers gave program participation numbers: one said about 40 students in the class of 2027 had committed to the full diploma and 38 were taking individual IB courses; another said 135 students in the class of 2028 had IB courses on their four‑year plans. Parents and students also said private schools have already contacted IB teachers and families seeking transfers.
Student speakers repeatedly framed the issue as one of opportunity. “Cutting the IB program would be a devastating loss for students like me,” said Caitlin, a student identified during public comment. Several other students used the same language at the podium: “Our education is our future, not a budget line,” echoed multiple times.
Parents and community members said the district’s announcement came with little warning and that administrators and the board had not sufficiently consulted families before publicizing potential program changes. One speaker noted that school renovations and a district budget gap were being discussed simultaneously and said that placing facility projects and program cuts on the same timeline has left families and staff uncertain about the district’s priorities.
Board and staff responses: Superintendent Dr. Gehring and district staff listened during the public comment portion and later described the broader budget conversation in the workshop portion of the meeting. District leaders told trustees they are working to assemble many pieces of data — enrollment projections, staffing allocations and possible legislative funding changes — before recommending final budget adjustments. Trustees said they wanted more time to evaluate options and asked staff for more granular information about program costs and the enrollment data speakers cited.
What’s next: Trustees continued the workshop discussion of budget options after public comment. Several board members asked administration to return with more detailed breakdowns of program costs, master‑schedule impacts and the consequences of any proposed reductions. The board did not make a formal decision on IB during the meeting.
