Displacement and School Choice: Competing Narratives of Student Enrollment in Austin, Texas

• In Event: Rezoning, Demographic Change, and Segregation in Diverse U.S. Cities

Abstract

Abstract: Schools in the eastside of the Austin (TX) Independent School District (ASID) are faced with under-enrollment, which for some, will likely result in their closure. Although this is undeniable, the reasons behind the changing school demographics are disputed. In fact, two competing narratives are being told. AISD school board members claim gentrification-driven displacement is causing the under-enrollment. However, community members suggest instead that AISD fails to respond to the rapid scaling of charter schools. Using semi-structured interviews and geographical information system mapping, this study examines this phenomenon and the two narratives. Our findings reveal that both explanations are at play. While families are displaced to neighboring districts, charter school expansion is indeed a major driver of the under-enrollment.

Authors

• Gregory Brian Pulte, The University of Texas at Austin

• Michael R. Scott, National Education Association