Hundreds of Austin families, educators and students told trustees on Nov. 20 that a district consolidation plan would dismantle neighborhood dual‑language programs and fracture communities.

"IHS serves newcomer students ages 14 to 17 who need specialized scaffolded English language support," Education Austin teacher Erica Hoffman told the board. "We expect that all newcomer students and families will receive specialized support with quality programming just as they would at International High School." Hoffman also said the district’s handling of the change left immigrant families feeling exposed, calling AISD’s silence on immigration policy "a disgrace." (Erica Hoffman, public testimony.)

Parents and PTA leaders from Becker, Ridgetop and Riley described abrupt changes to a draft released days earlier. "The plan removes hundreds of dual language seats and does not show how students will continue their bilingual path," Rosina Castellanos, a Becker parent, said, adding the backup materials did not include verified financial benefits or adequate attrition modeling. Multiple speakers repeated that last‑minute edits removed prior guarantees that entire communities would move together.

Advocates flagged civil‑rights and policy concerns. Addison Coulter of Texas Appleseed said the district can and should use consolidation to reduce segregation, citing a district 'index of dissimilarity' that her group says remains elevated. Pam Mayo, a Ridgetop parent, invoked state rule 89.1227 and urged trustees not to approve program moves that would break continuity for current dual‑language students, saying "this is a mandate, not a suggestion." (Addison Coulter, Texas Appleseed; Pam Mayo, Ridgetop parent.)

Speakers sought concrete data. Multiple public commenters asked the board to require a campus‑by‑campus report on past school‑closure savings and enrollment loss; several said the district has not produced comparable numbers from earlier closures (2019) that would let the board measure net savings now.

The tone of public testimony ranged from guarded support for turnaround strategies (some callers said a TEA takeover would be worse) to urgent opposition. Trustees repeatedly thanked students and parents for showing up; the board paused after testimony to let district staff walk through seat counts, transfer priorities, and a schedule of enrollment clinics meant to help families make transition choices.

What happens next: trustees debated the consolidation items that evening and, after amendments and split votes, approved the administration’s proposal with changes. The board and administration committed to targeted enrollment clinics and dedicated outreach to affected campuses in December and January to help families understand their options.