Parents urge caution on Blackshear plan; callers urge changes to GF Local complaints policy

During public testimony at the Feb. 26 Austin ISD board meeting, parents and community members urged trustees to slow decisions about Blackshear and Oak Springs campus plans and to revisit GF Local, the district’s public‑complaint policy.

Gabe Hernandez, identified as a Blackshear parent, asked the board to delay deciding on the new campus plan because he said the decision appears driven by a construction timetable and does not fully account for the needs of the consolidated community; he said the action would amount to a campus closure for Blackshear and could be a backdoor restart for Oak Springs.

Rachel Bowden, also identifying herself as a Blackshear parent, urged that the district reconsider Oak Springs’ design and suggested returning Oak Springs to serve younger students (for example, kindergarten through grade 2) so Blackshear could continue serving older students and both historic campuses could be preserved.

Two callers who identified themselves as parents, Quitlava Querra and Lisa Flores, urged trustees to vote no on GF Local because they said the legal department both advises on grievances and oversees public‑records responses, creating a conflict that limits parents’ ability to present their case. They asked the board to extend the filing deadline (suggested to at least 60 days) and to protect complainants’ right to supplement records at all levels.

Chair thanked the public commenters; trustees later pulled agenda item 12.1 (related to GF Local) and sent it back to the policy committee for further review and to consider the concerns raised.

What’s next: trustees agreed to send policy 12.1 back to the policy committee for additional consideration of the timeline and conflict concerns raised by callers.