East Austin residents urge AISD to finish Oak Springs, preserve Blackshear and honor Yellowjackets agreements
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Summary
Dozens of East Austin residents told the Austin ISD Board during an information session that bond funds should finish the Oak Springs campus, Blackshear should be repurposed for early childhood rather than closed, and the district must honor use agreements for historic Yellowjackets Stadium. Callers also pressed the district to standardize an ‘atypical’ GPA calculation and to provide clearer supports for TAP/TIP campuses.
At an information session on Feb. 12, dozens of community members urged the Austin Independent School District to complete a promised new campus at Oak Springs, keep Blackshear as a functioning community school or repurpose it for early childhood programming, and preserve the historical management terms for the LC Anderson Yellowjackets Stadium.
Barbara Spears Corbett, president of the original LC Anderson Alumni Association, said the stadium "is a district facility governed by established policies," and accused administration of treating it differently from other district properties. Alumni speakers repeatedly framed the dispute as a breach of long‑standing agreements and asked the board to enforce existing joint‑use and master‑plan terms.
Parents and neighborhood residents said the unfinished Oak Springs project and proposals to relocate or close Blackshear have deep emotional and equity implications. "The bond was a promise. Finish it," Jennifer Cumberbatch told trustees, noting bond funds have already been allocated for Oak Springs and asking the board to align its actions with community commitments.
Speakers also raised other community concerns during the public‑comment period. Multiple recorded callers and in‑person speakers urged the district to standardize its GPA reporting, saying AISD’s current calculation creates a competitive disadvantage for students applying for scholarships and athletic recruitment. Roxanne Evans, among recorded callers, told the board East Austin residents were "disturbed by the quickness to respond to schools west of I‑35" while East Austin projects remain unresolved.
Other testimony included equipment and procurement problems at LBJ High School’s baseball program, requests for clearer supports and volunteer pathways for TAP/TIP turnaround campuses, and repeated appeals for more transparent community engagement about consolidation and boundary decisions.
The board thanked commenters and concluded the public‑comment portion before moving to staff presentations on budget and student outcomes. The session’s public comments spanned a range of East Austin neighborhood concerns and repeatedly urged the district to prioritize equity, follow existing agreements, and provide clearer timelines and staff responses.