Education
BY CHLOE YOUNG
Austin ISD opts to close Blackshear, open new Oak Springs school
What they’re saying
Blackshear parent Gabe Hernandez said the campus has been eager to welcome Oak Springs students next school year and now feels blindsided by the decision to close Blackshear. Blackshear parent Laura Dablain said it is not ideal for students to move mid- school year. “He’s pretty devastated that he will no longer be at Blackshear,” Hernandez said about his son who will attend Oak Springs for part of fifth grade. “It was really disappointing.” Dream Together 2030, a coalition of community organizations, has advocated to preserve Oak Springs due to its importance and accessibility to the surrounding community, member Nehemiah Pitts III said. Securing transportation to attend another campus could be a challenge for many families, he said. “We’re delighted with the outcome,” Pitts said.
Austin ISD announced it will close Blackshear Elementary and relocate students to a new facility for Oak Springs Elementary in January of 2028. In November, the AISD board voted to close Oak Springs alongside nine additional campuses and merge the campus with Blackshear. After reviewing community feedback, AISD Superintendent Matis Segura said he has decided to continue constructing the $47.6 million modernized Oak Springs campus funded by the 2022 bond. As “a cornerstone of East Austin’s history,” AISD will seek a historic designation for the Blackshear, which opened in 1891, Segura said.
To maintain Blackshear’s fine arts programming, the new Oak Springs campus will feature:
Professional dance and yoga studio
Orchestra hall with private practice rooms
Outdoor performance stage
Theatre studio
Fenced garden
Zones for sensory play
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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