Organizational Health Initiative

KIPP Texas is undergoing a strategic realignment to ensure long-term sustainability and excellence across our school system. A recommendation has been made to the KIPP Texas Board of Directors to close select campuses in Austin and San Antonio. This includes closing seven schools across three campuses. These changes are part of ongoing statewide efforts at KIPP Texas to address enrollment declines, strengthen our school network, improve operational sustainability and ensure every student has access to a high-quality, well-resourced educational environment.

A recommendation is being made to close the following campuses in San Antonio and Austin:

• San Antonio 
  • Commerce Campus: KIPP Un Mundo and KIPP Camino 
• Austin
  • Austin Ridge Campus: KIPP Alegria and KIPP Arts & Letters 
  • Austin South Campus: KIPP Obras, KIPP Beacon Prep, and KIPP Brave

These decisions are part of broader ongoing efforts to strengthen our school communities and ensure long-term sustainability. 

We have called a special board meeting for December 10th at 5pm for the Board to hear any closing information before officially voting on the recommendation.

This meeting will be held virtually. Due to the recommendations impacting both Austin and San Antonio, we want to ensure that all meeting participants have the same experience. The virtual option ensures community members can join at their convenience and will not require them to travel to be in-person to participate in the meeting.

There will be no changes for the 2025–2026 school year. If the Board approves the recommendation, the changes will take effect beginning in the 2026–2027 school year.

The decision to strategically realign stems from a comprehensive, data-driven self-assessment conducted through our Organizational Health Initiative (OHI). We evaluated each campus based on enrollment trends impacting utilization and ultimately the financial sustainability of the system. The goal is to build a more resilient school system that supports long-term success for students and families across the state. We know that fully enrolled schools are where our Little KIPPsters can truly thrive, and that is our goal across all campuses.

Since unifying our four regional networks in 2018, KIPP Texas has grown rapidly. While this growth brought many successes, it also stretched our systems, resources, and enrollment trends similar to other school districts across Texas. This moment is an opportunity to realign our strategy and stabilize our footprint to ensure every student has access to a joyful, academically excellent school. These changes are essential to ensure we continue delivering on our commitment to excellence to students across Texas.

The OHI is a strategic framework developed, in partnership with Bain & Company, now fully owned by KIPP Texas. It guides our decisions through a lens of transparency, fairness, and long-term impact. It allows us to objectively evaluate our organization and the schools within it, to ensure we align with our 2030 Committed to Excellence multi-year plan and prioritize support where it’s most needed.

The Organizational Health Initiative is a way for us to assess and identify risks at our schools before they become issues that impact the student experience. The current risk that has the potential of impacting our students is enrollment declines. We have used data to analyze trends in enrollment at all of our schools for many years and through this data driven framework, we have come to the recommendation to close some schools before the negative impact becomes too great and our academic programs decline.

This realignment supports our 2030 Committed to Excellence multi-year plan and reinforces our commitment to academic excellence, financial sustainability and consistent impact for our families and communities. It positions KIPP Texas to operate smarter, serve more students effectively, and remain a trusted choice for families across the state. The healthiest schools are those where classrooms are full, year over year, ensuring consistent and healthy programs.

We are focused on creating learning environments that are supportive of our students, families and staff, today and in the future. We believe every student deserves to engage in rigorous daily instruction that prepares them for college. We set the bar high and hold everyone – including ourselves – to that through high expectations, high accountability, and high support.

Our class sizes are set using our school model criteria, so class sizes will remain relatively consistent. It just may mean that the number of total grade level classes increases, for example, from 2 3rd classes to 4 total 3rd grade classes. Our aim is to ensure that each class size is fully enrolled to ensure a robust programming and academic experience for all students. KIPP strives to ensure every student receives the same experience, regardless of which campus they attend.

Teachers and leaders from closing campuses will be considered for roles at campuses where students are rezoned. They will have early access to the transfer window and open roles, with the goal of retaining KIPP Texas talent and providing a stable experience for students.

KIPP Texas is committed to providing a robust academic program which is based on our core curriculum model and consistent across all KIPP Texas schools. Our schools also offer a diverse and robust set of clubs, sports, and enrichment programs that are based on student interest and teacher and staff availability at each campus.

Yes. KIPP Texas is committed to providing a consistent, joyful, and academically excellent experience for every student, regardless of campus. All KIPP schools follow the same standards and expectations, ensuring students are surrounded by the same supportive environment and learning experience.

Every student enrolled at a new KIPP Texas campus will receive all necessary services per their Individualized Education Program (IEP), ensuring continuity in special education support across all campuses. If you have an existing IEP but your current school is on the recommended closure list, your IEP will go with you to your new school. KIPP Texas is required by TEA to provide the services your student needs and will work directly with families to ensure all components of their IEP are met.

All KIPP Texas campuses are equipped to support students with special needs. Our commitment to inclusive education remains unchanged.

No. Every student affected by these changes will retain their place within the KIPP Texas family. Students from consolidating campuses will be prioritized for placement at receiving schools.

All students at potentially closing schools will have a spot at another KIPP school. Following the Board vote in December, you will receive communication about our new process called the Intent to Return process. This process will be communicated with information about logistics and transportation to help guide your decision on re-enrolling. At that stage, we ask that you share your intent at that time. This will help us continue to plan for the 26-27 school year. Following that, in March, the official re-enrollment process will begin. Students will be enrolled in the new school based on their most recent address, ensuring placement at the closest campus. Families will receive timely outreach and personalized guidance to help navigate enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year.

KIPP Texas will provide guidance and support for students during the transition, including mental health and emotional support services. School-based mental health teams and advisory lessons will be available to help students process the change and prepare for milestones like graduation.

As the KIPP Texas Board of Directors evaluates this recommendation, we are committed to clear, compassionate communication. It is important to note, there are no changes in the current 2025-2026 school year, and all students in the KIPP Texas organization currently will have a place at a KIPP school going forward if they choose. Families from the closing schools will receive timely outreach and personalized guidance to help navigate enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year. Most importantly, we will be with our families every step of the way – listening, responding and working together to ensure you have a wonderful 2025-2026 school year and a smooth transition to their new school in the 2026-2027 school year. Community meetings were held in both regions to gather feedback for the Board, and a recording of the presentation shared can be found here: (LINK)

Many teachers are exploring opportunities to continue working within KIPP Texas, including at nearby campuses. While not all transitions are guaranteed, we are working to ensure continuity and familiarity for students wherever possible.

All teachers are focused on ensuring the 2025-2026 school year is productive and supporting your child as they learn and thrive. They are not responsible for communicating updates regarding future enrollment, nor would they be if these changes weren’t happening. But they will continue regular communication about this school year and all the wonderful things your little KIPPster will experience. All official communication regarding future enrollments will be delivered from KIPP Texas leadership and school leadership.

It is important to remember, nothing is changing for this school year. For regular updates and enrollment updates, families will receive details via email, school meetings, and community outreach. We are committed to transparent, clear and timely communication throughout this process.

Families should contact their local school leadership with questions. To share general feedback, please contact cos.team@kipptexas.org. For media inquiries, please contact: comms@kipptexas.org