Parents at Webb Middle School in Austin, Texas, say they were misled into signing a petition calling for the campus to close as the district attempts to avoid a state takeover.
The controversy has emerged after petitions were submitted on 15 October by families at Webb and Burnet middle schools, both of which have received five consecutive failing ratings from the Texas Education Agency.
Under the state’s parent petition process, a majority of parents at each school can ask the education commissioner to order a campus closure or appoint a board of managers. The petitions are intended to give families a say over the schools’ future, but the process has divided both communities.
Parents question Webb Middle School petition
Vanessa Gamez, president of the Webb Middle School PTA, said some parents did not understand that the document they were signing requested the closure of the school.
“There’s a lot of confusion in our community. Our feelings are confused because now parents don’t trust Austin ISD and the school,” she said.
Gamez alleged that some people approached parents outside the school and described the petition as a way to “save Webb”, despite the wording calling for the campus to close.
She also questioned why English-language copies were sent to a school serving a large Hispanic population. Some families, she said, were reluctant to ask questions or challenge the information they had been given because of concerns linked to the current immigration climate.
Another explanation allegedly given to parents was that signing would ensure the school remained under Austin’s control rather than coming under state control. Gamez said some parents agreed and signed without being told that the immediate request was for Webb to be closed.
Webb parent Valarie Gonzales said families were uncertain about how many signatures would ultimately be accepted after the district checked them against enrolment records.
Parents have since started a separate petition alleging that outside groups, including the Austin Council of PTAs and Keep Austin Schools Independent, applied pressure during the signature drive.
Groups reject pressure allegations
The Austin Council of PTAs said its role was to provide families with factual information and that it had not taken a position on whether parents should sign.
Keep Austin Schools Independent said Burnet and Webb families had asked the Austin Council of PTAs for help distributing information. It said volunteers were told that their role was to share information and that the decision belonged to individual families.
Ken Zarifis, a Burnet Middle School parent, defended the petition campaign, saying it offered families an opportunity to prevent state officials from taking control of the district.
“It’s important that we are able to stand up. And defend our school. We stand together and defend our school,” he said. “The state doesn’t need to take us, the state needs to come in to help us.”
Austin ISD has begun the verification process but will wait for the state’s 30 October enrolment snapshot before determining whether the petitions have enough valid signatures. The district is due to submit the results to the Texas Education Agency by 1 December.
The petitions are part of a wider dispute over how Austin ISD should respond to the prospect of state intervention. The education commissioner could still consider a different course if the district’s board submits its own request and explanation, leaving parents uncertain about whether the campaign will result in closure or prevent a broader takeover.
