Parents react to latest Pearce plan

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Pearce Middle School parents are speaking out on a last-minute plan to keep the school alive. Austin Independent School District officials also are sharing their thoughts on a new repurposing plan.

The Board of Trustees and Education Commissioner Robert Scott have about three weeks left to make a decision and get plans in place at Pearce before the first day of school on Monday, August 24.

Betty Johnson has three boys. Her son, Malcolm, just graduated from Pearce Middle School. Johnson was hoping her two younger sons would also go to the school, but that may not be an option.

"We as parents are concerned," said Johnson. "I want to see the doors of Pearce Middle School open. It's kind of late. You can't call other schools to know what their curriculum is and what kind of things they have to offer our kids."

AISD announced last month the school would close, because of low TAKS test scores for a fifth straight year.

"I think closing the school is not an option, because it's not the school," said Johnson. "We as parents and educators, we need to be the ones to be educating and helping our children."

Vincent Torres, the AISD Vice President of the Board of Trustees, also wants to see a resolution.

"Our board has taken all of the problems with all of our academically unacceptable schools very seriously," said Torres. "Our only option quite frankly if we're going to keep the school open is to submit a repurposing plan that is successful and meets the approval of the commissioner."

School district officials released their new 40-page plan to save the school Friday afternoon. The repurposing plan called for a stronger focus on ESL programs, more parental involvement and recruiting and retaining qualified teachers and principal. The entire repurposing plan can be found on the AISD website..

As the first day of school gets even closer, Torres is hopeful a decision will be made soon.

"We think if we're not there, we're very, very close," said Torres.

At a news conference on Friday, Scott said he was hopeful AISD would use this opportunity to re-tool a number of schools in East Austin. Only two of the six middle schools east of Interstate 35 have earned acceptable ratings this year. None of the high schools in East Austin, other than LASA Academy, were rated as acceptable. That includes Eastside Memorial High School, which was closed and reopened as a repurposed campus last year.

The repurposing proposal will be presented to the AISD Board of Trustees at a special meeting and public hearing Monday night. The board meeting will begin at 7:45 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Carruth Administration Center located at 1111 West Sixth Street. Public testimony will begin at 8:20 p.m. on Monday, August 3.

If the board approves it, the repurposing plan will be delivered Tuesday morning to Scott, who will make the final determination on whether the Pearce campus will be open for the upcoming school year. Scott also has said he could consider an alternative manager for Pearce if he's not satisfied with the repurposing plan.

Below is our raw video of Scott's comments about Pearce, AISD and the possibility of an alternative provider: