AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Classes at Austin ISD's Travis Early College High School campus were canceled after the body of a student was found behind the school Thursday morning.
AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said two campus employees flagged down a district police officer on a routine patrol after they found the girl hanging from a tree behind the campus at 7:39 a.m. Thursday morning.
The campus, which is located in South Austin on Oltorf Street just west of Interstate 35, was immediately placed on a "secure" status. Sneed said some students were already on campus for extra curricular activities, but that no students were in the area where the body was found.
Thursday afternoon, AISD officials confirmed the victim was an 11th grade student at the school. She did not have any identification on her when she was found Thursday morning, officials said.
Austin Police homicide detectives and the Travis County Medical Examiner's office were working to officially determine a cause of death.
AISD Interim Superintendent Matias Segura addressed the "heartbreaking" situation district employees found themselves in. "Right now, our focus is in supporting our students and staff," said Segura. "Many of us are hurting and want to figure out how to support them better. Over the next several hours we'll begin to work through what it will look like tomorrow for students and staff. Those plans have not been finalized."
Officials said it's too early in the investigation to know if any foul play was involved in the girl's death.
District officials made the decision to cancel classes around 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, with law enforcement activity continuing on the scene.
Students who were already on buses were to be returned home; for students who were already on campus, the district was working to coordinate transportation.
Thursday's incident comes during back-to-school week for students across AISD, who returned to classes for the fall semester on Monday.