AISD proposes consolidating Maplewood into Campbell amid budget, enrollment pressures; parents press for staffing and program guarantees

At a community meeting at Maplewood Elementary, Austin Independent School District leaders outlined a draft plan to consolidate Maplewood Elementary into Campbell Elementary and explained related changes to transfer rules, staffing plans and bilingual programming.

Superintendent Matias Segura said the proposal is part of a districtwide effort to address falling enrollment, deteriorating funding streams and “inefficiencies” in seat allocation. “This is not a function of our students. It's not a function of our staff. It's a function of our inability as a school district to provide those resources,” Segura said, placing the consolidation in the context of a roughly $10,000,000 net increase the district received in state funding that he said is insufficient against a $1,000,000,000 operating budget and a decline of about 2,500 students this year.

Why it matters: Austin ISD officials said the district must reduce excess seats and realign feeder patterns so neighborhood schools can be stabilized and staffed consistently. Staff described five priorities driving the draft plan: aligning feeder patterns, addressing a persistent budget deficit, stabilizing programming (including dual language strands), reforming transfer policies and breaking chains of state accountability sanctions the district says could lead to more severe interventions.

What the draft would do: District staff said the current Maplewood attendance boundary would be rezoned to…