Dear Maplewood community,
By now, everyone should have received a letter from the district carrying the news that Maplewood is proposed for closure next year. This is not the news any of us were hoping for, but let's not give up hope -- we can still make our case to the AISD trustees and the broader community both about Maplewood specifically and about the process and timeline for these changes more generally. Maplewood got off the closure list in 2019, so these things are possible.
As your advocacy team, we encourage you to speak up, and to do so in a way that represents Maplewood positively -- remember that even if we ultimately are closed, we will be advocating for what consolidation looks like for our students, teachers, and staff, and we'll need the goodwill of the district and the city to do that effectively. We can take some solace in the Maplewood community all staying together, even if at a different place, and that Campbell is also a well loved school with a lot to offer.
We need to be thinking on parallel tracks here: first, how do we get Maplewood off the closure list or slow down the closures across the board; and second, if we do consolidate, what would it take for the families in our community to feel comfortable with moving to Campbell (on my end, that's keeping teachers, staff, and programs, understanding what the plan is for maintaining our high academic standards, and getting a stop light to safely cross Manor near the school -- we need your input on what that looks like for you.)
First things first. We need volunteers to help save Maplewood and other schools slated for closure. The big volunteer ask right now is for the next month (until early November). We are going to have two major efforts: a Maplewood specific effort and a citywide process effort. There will be some crossover but please volunteer where you'd like to focus (or for both!). Please sign up on this form for the Save Maplewood campaign and/or this form for the Save Austin Schools campaign.
Next, we want to let you know about an upcoming opportunity to speak out: On Thursday, October 9 at 6 p.m., the AISD Board of Trustees will have an information session where the district staff will present their proposed plan (For more information see https://www.austinisd.org/calendar/events/2025/10/09/board-information-session). There are two ways you can get involved on that day if you choose to:
- You can provide a public comment at the board information session. You may either sign up to speak in person or record your testimony by calling 512-414-0130 between 3:30–4:45 p.m. the day before the meeting or 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you would like to leave a pre-recorded message, you'll have 1 minute and you'll need to have that prepared when you call. (More details about how this works can be found here: https://www.austinisd.org/board/meetings). Please note that only 60 pre-recorded comments will be accepted, so if you want to speak, call early. And if you're going to speak, we'd appreciate it if you'd give us a head's up and ideally coordinate messaging.
- You can attend a rally at AISD HQ being put on by Education Austin at 5 p.m., just before the board session. The rally is to demand that the district slow down the timeline, have real two-way engagement, and ensure transparency and equity. If you show up, please wear Maplewood gear if you have it (For more information, see https://www.instagram.com/p/DPEhTPpjgZU/).
With lots of love,
Your Maplewood Advocacy Team
Contact us at: Lisa Bennett (lisabennett8@gmail.com) and Adam Sparks (adamesparks@gmail.com)