Austin ISD proposes temporary closure of Martin Middle; students to be reassigned as district seeks turnaround and budget balance

Austin Independent School District officials told parents at a community meeting at Martin Middle School that the district is proposing to temporarily close Martin and reassign students to Keeling, Lively and Marshall middle schools for the 2026-27 school year as part of a draft consolidation and boundary-change plan designed to meet state turnaround requirements and reduce budget shortfalls.

District leaders said the move is tied to a turnaround plan process required by the Texas Education Agency and described a timeline that includes posting a revised plan on Oct. 31, a Board of Trustees information discussion on Nov. 6 and a planned board vote on Nov. 20. Superintendent Matias Segura told attendees the district intends to submit required turnaround plans the day after a board vote, and that the agency has up to 45 days to accept or decline those plans.

The proposal and its timeline matter because three consecutive years of unacceptable ratings on state accountability metrics trigger turnaround (TAP) requirements, and the TEA commissioner can install a board of managers and replace district leadership if submitted plans are rejected. "We are desperately trying to address... historical issues that we've had in our system for well over a hundred years," Segura said, framing the consolidation as part of a larger effort to align feeder patterns, stabilize programming and preserve local control.

District…