East Austin High faces closure again

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin school district must act fast to come up with a new plan for Eastside Memorial High School.

The Texas Education Commissioner laid out these three options for the historically low-performing school in East Austin:

• Closure at the end of the 2012-2013 school year
• Alternative management: Have another non-profit take over, or have a different district step in and run the school
• Continue partnering with IDEA Charter Schools or pick a new partner

Watch Education Commissioner's response to Eastside Memorial issue

Parents, teachers and community members filled the school cafeteria Saturday morning to provide feedback on what they think school leaders should do.

They were divided into groups, and then one person from each group stepped up to the microphone to share their thoughts with the crowd.

"Closure is not an option for this school," said Amy Hendricks, a teacher at Eastside Memorial.

"Many folks talked about this idea of project-based learning -- hands-on learning, "said another man. "Making sure the curriculum is interesting."

"Make this school desirable," said another woman. "How do we create a reason for families to stay here and want to come to this school?"

Attendees expressed a lot of support for partnering with a local group. Some specifically named Southwest Key , an existing non-profit working in East Austin, who runs a college prep charter school.

Austin ISD Superintendent Dr. Meria Carstarphen said the most important thing is to focus on the students first.

"We have rising seniors and what I don't want to see happen, like the Pearce Middle School experience, is that the decision gets dragged out to the end of the school year and as a result we end up with a closure that puts our rising seniors in a terrible place for being able to graduate and utilize things like the top eight percent for admissions at the University of Texas."

The Austin school board does not have long to choose an option. Carstarphen said they must make a decision by their last school board meeting of the year which is May 28.

Trustee Jayme Mathias said that would be cutting it close. The board said it would be better to come to a conclusion in March or April.

The board will discuss it for the first time as a group at a special work session Monday night.

"I look forward to what they come up with," said Commissioner Williams during the KXAN News In Session. In Depth. show Sunday morning.

He said it is too premature to say which options he likes or does not like.

Carstarphen said the district will be reading through feedback gathered at Saturday's community meeting.

"Hopefully it will fill in some pieces for the commissioner as he thinks through how much flexibility he will give us under the law," said Carstarphen.