AISD Board of Trustees Approve In-District Charter Program with IDEA Public Schools

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Austin, TX—Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to establish a college preparatory, in-district charter program with IDEA Public Schools. The proposal is one of six Annual Academic and Facilities Recommendations, five of which the board approved last week on Dec. 12.

The in-district charter program will create a well-articulated kindergarten through 12th grade vertical team in East Austin, so students have access to the same strong academic programming available to students in other parts of Austin.

For the 2012-13 school year, IDEA would offer kindergarten through second grade and sixth grade at Allan Elementary. In subsequent years, IDEA would expand so by the 2018-19 school year, the program would serve Allan students in kindergarten through fifth grade and all students in the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team in sixth through 12th grade. Students who live in the Allan attendance area would have priority for kindergarten through fifth. Any remaining seats would be available to other students in the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team, then to students district-wide through a lottery system.

Students who live in the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team attendance zone would have priority to attend IDEA for sixth through 12th grade. Those who opt out of IDEA will attend Martin in sixth through eighth grades and Travis in ninth through 12th. IDEA would not replace schools, but rather offer alternative programming in existing schools.

In January, the district will begin working with schools and communities to plan for and implement the recommendations for the 2012-13 school year-which also included proposals to expand dual language immersion programs, address overcrowding in north central elementary schools and create an in-district charter to strengthen graduation pathways.

To learn more information about the approved recommendations, visit the Facility Master Plan webpage at www.austinisd.org/FMP.

For more information, please contact the Department of Public Relations and Multicultural Outreach at 414-2414.