Austin ISD outlines draft plan to consolidate Maplewood into Campbell; families press district on timing, Title I and bilingual programs

Austin Independent School District officials on Thursday presented a draft plan to consolidate Maplewood Elementary with nearby Campbell Elementary as part of a districtwide effort to reduce building inefficiencies and address a budget shortfall.

At a packed community meeting, district staff said some campuses are operating far below capacity and that the district faces falling enrollment and state and federal funding pressures. “We are in a budget deficit,” the district stated during the presentation, noting “a net of 10,000,000 and an operating budget of 1,000,000,000” as part of the fiscal context for proposed changes.

The draft recommendation would reassign attendance zones so many Maplewood students would enroll at Campbell; staff showed proposed boundary maps and said options for implementation will be shared in a public draft on Friday. The district described consolidation as a way to…