Austin ISD superintendent hears East Austin pleas to finish Oak Springs and preserve Blackshear

Austin — Austin Independent School District Superintendent Matias Segura told a crowded community meeting that he has the administrative authority to choose where a consolidated Oak Springs and Blackshear campus will be located and that he would decide by the end of the month, drawing both sharp questions and passionate appeals from East Austin residents.

Segura framed the issue as a "forever decision," saying the board had already voted on Nov. 20 to combine boundaries and that the location of the school within those boundaries is an administrative decision. "I have the — I am the decision maker," Segura said, describing his intention to gather community input before finalizing the site.

Why it matters: The discussion centers on whether to complete construction of a new Oak Springs campus funded by the 2022 bond or to consolidate students at the historic Blackshear campus. Community leaders and faith organizations urged the district to finish Oak Springs and to repurpose Blackshear as an early childhood and enrichment center, saying the combination could represent either generational investment or further erosion of long-standing neighborhood assets.

What Segura told the room: Segura said the Oak Springs project is funded by the 2022 bond and that delaying construction risks substantial cost escalation. He described constraints created by the project’s design approvals and a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) already negotiated with contractors. "If I wait a whole year," Segura said, citing market escalation, "you could see $78,000,000 bust," meaning the cost could push far beyond current allocations unless other projects yield surplus funds or voters approve a future bond.

Community pleas: Multiple speakers read letters and delivered firsthand testimony. Sherwin Patton read a letter from Pastor Mays and a statement by Dream Together 2030 urging completion of Oak Springs and repurposing Blackshear to honor the campus’ history. Pastor Billy McClendon and Pastor Galen Clark (read by a representative) urged sensitivity to East Austin’s history and called for keeping investment commitments. Parent Heather Cavazos said, "If this decision is truly about children and learning, then completing a new modernized building at the current Oak Springs site is the only response." Several Blackshear parents warned that moving the campus risks destabilizing partnerships that supply teachers and fine-arts programming.

Questions from the audience focused on student outcomes, staffing, the turnaround (tap) plan and neighborhood enrollment. Segura acknowledged the district’s history of underinvestment in East Austin and said the current administration has prioritized resources for historically underserved students. He described supports for principals during modernization and said instructional coaches and construction project managers would help smooth transitions.

Funding and planning trade-offs: The superintendent outlined a core trade-off: finish Oak Springs now with funds available from the 2022 bond, or delay and risk higher costs requiring future bonds or reallocation of dollars from other projects. He said a full redesign of Blackshear to meet modern education and security specifications would require new permits and additional time and funding, and that some historic building features limit the district’s ability to fully modernize that campus.

Programs and transfers: Community members raised concerns that a smaller modernized Oak Springs could reduce transfer seats and weaken Blackshear’s fine-arts academy. Segura said programs can move and that district planning can attempt to mitigate impacts, but that preserving both campuses on the current timeline would require additional funds or district-wide changes.

Next steps: Organizers said engagement materials and slide decks would be posted online. Staff committed to returning a decision "no later than the end of this month" and reminded families that general transfers and enrollment open Feb. 16 and that staffing steps and match fairs will take place in March. The meeting closed with continued calls for intentional planning to protect neighborhood identity and to ensure academic supports during any consolidation.

The district provided data slides and enrollment projections that officials said factor in anticipated local housing and development; those slides will be posted alongside the engagement report. The board has not been asked to reverse its boundary combination vote; Segura said the current question is strictly the location of the consolidated campus and how to preserve community priorities while managing tight bond funds.