AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- In a bid to ward off state intervention, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted Thursday to hand over daily operations of three troubled middle schools to an outside nonprofit.
Under the new agreement, Burnet, Dobie, and Webb middle schools will enter a partnership with the Texas Council for International Studies (TCIS). The move utilizes a 2017 Texas law known as an SB 1882 partnership, which allows districts to contract with nonprofits or charter organizations to manage struggling campuses.
In exchange, the state will grant the schools a two-year reprieve from further state intervention and provides a boost in per-pupil funding.
Under the agreement, TCIS will hold "sole authority" over staffing, finances, and curriculum at the three campuses. While the nonprofit takes the wheel, Austin ISD will act as a watchdog, monitoring academic data and retaining the power to terminate the contract if TCIS fails to meet specific performance benchmarks.
Those benchmarks are clearly outlined in the agreement, with the schools being expected to achieve a "D" or "C" rating beginning next year and an "acceptable" rating of "C" or higher by the 2027-28 school year.
This decision comes as AISD grapples with systemic academic challenges. Last fall, the district adopted turnaround plans for 24 campuses plagued by low ratings. Seven of those schools are slated for closure this summer as the district implements wider budget cuts.
However, the "1882" model has shown success elsewhere in the district. Next year, AISD will regain full control of Mendez Middle School in South Austin. The campus spent over a decade under the management of charter and nonprofit partners before finally securing the "acceptable" ratings required to return to district hands.
The district is aiming to reduce the number of "F" rated schools to 15 or fewer by 2026, with an ultimate goal of eliminating all failing ratings by 2029.
Move pushes off potential state takeover of district over Burnet, Dobie, and Webb campuses
