Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is urging families at two North Austin middle schools to petition state officials to close their campuses, framing the move as a crucial step to protect the Austin Independent School District from a sweeping state takeover. The mayor’s recommendation comes as the school district faces potential intervention from the Texas Education Agency following the release of recent accountability ratings.
Watson laid out his strategy in a Wednesday morning edition of his "Watson Wire" newsletter sent to community members. In the publication, he argued that while targeted action is necessary to address longstanding academic struggles at Burnet and Webb middle schools, an intervention should not dismantle local governance across the broader school system.
The threat of state intervention arises from the 2026 state accountability ratings, which marked the fifth consecutive year of failing marks for both Burnet and Webb middle schools. Under a 2015 Texas statute, a fifth consecutive failing grade at any campus automatically triggers mandatory state action, leaving the state education commissioner with limited statutory paths forward.
Under Texas law, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath is required to respond to such persistent underperformance by either ordering the closure of the failing schools or initiating a full state takeover of the entire school district. If a takeover were pursued, the state would strip Austin ISD’s elected board of trustees of their authority and replace them with an appointed board of managers.
Watson argued forcefully against a full district takeover, characterizing such a move as an extraordinary intervention that would be disproportionate to the district’s actual trajectory. He emphasized that the district as a whole has demonstrated clear academic improvement, making broad state management unwarranted.
To support his argument, Watson pointed to Austin ISD’s overall districtwide performance on the state’s letter-grade system. The district elevated its performance to earn a B rating with a score of 81 this year, up from a score of 79, which earned a C rating the prior year. Watson questioned why a district making steady, quantifiable gains should face a top-to-bottom takeover due to challenges concentrated at specific facilities.
To avoid that outcome, Watson advised parents and guardians at the affected campuses to leverage a specific provision within Texas education law that permits families to appeal directly to Morath. Under this statutory pathway, when a campus triggers potential state intervention, a majority of parents can submit a formal petition requesting specific remedies.
The statute allows campus parents to petition the commissioner to either shut down the struggling school or replace the elected school board. According to state law, Morath may choose to abide by the preferences expressed by the petitioning parents. The Texas Education Agency did not immediately provide clarification when asked whether such a petition legally obligates the commissioner to follow the parents' recommendations.
Under Watson's envisioned solution, families would call for the closure of Burnet and Webb middle schools while simultaneously asking Austin ISD to establish a brand-new school to serve North Austin students. Watson suggested that students from both campuses could be consolidated into a newly created school situated at the current Burnet site.
The Burnet campus is already slated for extensive physical upgrades, benefiting from a $158 million modernization project funded through Austin ISD’s $2.4 billion bond package approved by voters in 2022. Utilizing this investment, Watson argued, would give the district an opportunity to provide a modernized environment for the combined student body.
Watson expressed strong confidence in Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura, stating that Segura’s track record demonstrates an ability to execute complex restructuring without dispersing students across disparate campuses. Watson maintained that Segura, working alongside the elected board of trustees, possesses the leadership necessary to construct a unified school community within a brand-new facility.
The strategy of using parent petitions to prevent a districtwide takeover has precedent in Texas. In 2019, Snyder ISD faced a similar intervention when Snyder Junior High received its fifth consecutive failing rating. In response, a majority of parents from the junior high submitted a petition asking Morath to shutter the school rather than replace the district's elected leadership.
Following that petition, Morath issued a letter to Snyder ISD in January 2020 confirming that he would close the campus and appoint a state conservator to oversee district decisions, rather than ousting the locally elected school board.
Burnet and Webb middle schools have struggled to meet state academic standards for years, having failed to meet state benchmarks since 2018. In the latest ratings, Webb earned an overall score of 58 out of 100, while Burnet scored a 59. A score of 60 would have granted both campuses a temporary "pause" year, which would have delayed state sanctions and provided additional time to improve student performance.
Neither Austin ISD nor the Texas Education Agency immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Watson’s proposal or the next official steps in the state accountability process. As the community considers its options, families and district leaders face a critical window to determine how best to navigate the state's stringent accountability mandates.
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