KIPP Texas to close schools in Austin, San Antonio

KIPP Texas Public Schools, one of the largest charter operators in the state, announced Thursday it will close five Austin and two San Antonio schools next fall in response to enrollment decline.

Though charter enrollment is still increasing statewide, the closures of charter campuses come at a time that many traditional Texas school districts – including in Austin and San Antonio – are closing campuses to ward off the strains of low enrollment and fiscal woes. In a recording of a meeting with parents, KIPP officials said the plan was meant to get ahead of predicted declining enrollment at these campuses.

“The risk associated with not considering closure of these campuses could result in us making staffing reductions that would severely impact student experience in the classroom and through extracurricular programming,”  KIPP’s Chief of Staff Jenna Moon said in the recording.

East of Highway 183, the KIPP charter school district will close KIPP Alegría Primary, a prekindergarten to fourth grade school, and KIPP Academy of Arts & Letters, a fifth through eighth grade campus.

In South Austin, the district will close KIPP Austin Obras, a Pre-K to fourth grade campus; KIPP Beacon Prep, a fifth through eighth grade campus; and KIPP Austin Brave, a ninth through 12^th grade campus.

The charter district is also closing KIPP Un Mundo Primary and KIPP Camino Academy, a fifth through eighth grade campus, in West San Antonio.

“The education system is always evolving, for public, private and charter schools, and we are not alone in facing changing demographics and enrollment trends in various regions,” said Sehba Ali, CEO of KIPP Texas.

Ali said the closures would let the district “operate smarter and serve our families more effectively.” 

A KIPP spokesperson directed further questions to the school website. 

Statewide, KIPP enrolls about 32,700 students, a figure that’s growing. KIPP enrolls the second-most students, behind IDEA Public Schools, of any charter network operating within Austin school district boundaries.

About 2,642 students within Austin district boundaries attend a KIPP campus. However, that enrollment has decreased since the 2020-21 school year, when 3,167 students within the Austin district attended KIPP schools.

Almost 5,000 students attended a KIPP campus in the greater Austin area last year, according to TEA data.

The charter said all students at a closed campus will retain a spot at another KIPP school, if they choose.

In July, the Austin Discovery School announced it would abruptly close before the start of the new school year. The school enrolled about 200 students last year.

Meanwhile, enrollment in charter schools has only been growing across the state.

Charter enrollment nearly doubled in the last decade, from 228,153 students in the 2014-15 school year to 436,031 students last year. Students in charter schools make up about 8% of Texas’ public school children, according to data from the Texas Education Agency.

Some traditional public schools, on the other hand, have been closing schools, often in response to declining enrollment and budget strains.

Austin’s school board on Nov. 20 voted to close 10 campuses. Leander’s trustees have also considered school closures this semester, though no decision has been made yet. Districts in San Antonio, such as North East and San Antonio, have also voted to close campuses.