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Austin residents urge AISD trustees to remove Becker Elementary from surplus list
Summary
Dozens of Bolden Creek residents and parents urged the Austin ISD board to remove Becker Elementary from a proposed surplus-property list, citing its historic donation, neighborhood green space and concerns about being sold to developers; administration said surplus designation is an administrative step that can lead to repurposing rather than an inevitable sale.
Dozens of residents and parents pleaded with the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees on March 12 to remove Becker Elementary from the district’s list of properties being considered as surplus.
“Please remove Becker from the surplus property list,” said multiple recorded callers who identified themselves as Bolden Creek neighbors, citing the school’s history, green space and community role. Several speakers noted that Herman Becker’s heirs donated the land in the 1930s with the intent it be used for education and described the campus’s live oak trees, playground and the neighborhood’s reliance on the site for community activities.
“I’m calling to ask that Becker be removed from the surplus property list,” said Ann Jansson, a Bolden Creek resident. “I prefer that the building and space not be used for apartment building or condo building.” Carol Goodwin, another caller, asked the board to “collaborate with the Bolden Creek Neighborhood Association to plan for the future use of the Becker property.”
Why it matters: Callers said declaring Becker surplus risks selling the site to the highest bidder and permanently removing neighborhood green space and community assets. Several speakers said the property’s long community use and historic landmark designation make sale to large multifamily developers inappropriate for the surrounding single-family neighborhood.
What the district said: Trustees and staff responded that the administrative process for identifying surplus properties is intended to create community engagement around repurposing options. Superintendent Segura told trustees that designating a property as surplus does not automatically mean it will be sold: outcomes can include repurposing as a learning facility, leasing, preservation as open space, or, if appropriate and approved later, sale. The superintendent also committed to additional outreach and follow-up with neighborhood stakeholders.
Community context and claims: Speakers drew a throughline from recent school closures and consolidation discussions to the surplus process, asking for more transparency about which campuses were exempted from consolidation and why. Callers asserted the neighborhood had invested time and resources to sustain Becker as a neighborhood school and said the district should collaborate with the Bolden Creek Neighborhood Association before progressing any disposition decisions.
What’s next: The board previewed agenda items for its March 26 regular meeting and staff said surplus/repurposing procedures are posted on the district website with community engagement steps; any formal agreement or transaction would return to the board for approval. Residents asked trustees to delay any sale and to prioritize a community-driven repurposing plan.
Proper names mentioned in public comment include Becker Elementary School, Bolden Creek Neighborhood Association, Herman Becker (donor), and Austin Independent School District.
