NEWSAustin school board votes on school closuresThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley addresses her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan as parents and community members rise in support during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanWendy Richardson holds her son Breiten as they listen to board members speak on school closures in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanJared Breckenridge speaks to members of the school board against school closures in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parents sit in a crowded room in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA Pease parents becomes emotional after trustee member gave support in the closures of Pease, Metz, Brooke and Sims elementaries during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanAbby Burnham holds her daughter Lillian, 2, as she speaks to school district trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA woman becomes emotional while listening to the district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley express her concerns with the lack of equity in the schools districts plan to close schools during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanStudents from Ridgetop Elementary sit in the front row of the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-Statesmanin the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA parent holds a sign that reads "save my family" in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanStudents from Pease hold signs in the back of the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanParents and community members wait in line to speak at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parent Jim Sease listens to members of the school board speak in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parent Jim Sease listens to members of the school board speak in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSuperintendent Paul Cruz shakes the hand of a Ridgetop student in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanDistrict 6 President Geronimo Rodriguez shakes the hand of a Ridgetop student in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSusie Roselle holds onto a sign in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA man listens to members of the board in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA parent speaks to members of the board in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA woman listens to members of the school board in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parents snap and clap for Jared Breckenridge as he speaks to board members against school closures in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSuperintendent Paul Cruz looks into the crowd in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA man listens to board members as they speak in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSuperintendent Paul Cruz listens to a community member speak against school closures in a board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanLiberal Arts and Science Academy student Citlalli Soto-Ferate, 17, speaks to members of the board against school closures in the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parents listen to community members against school closures at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSuperintendent Paul Cruz listens as community members speak against school closures at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanJared Breckenridge speaks to members of the school board against school closures in the board room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanMembers of the school board listen to community members in a room of the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanBertha Rendon Delgado holds up a Metz t-shirt to school district trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanAustin Independent School District trustee Jayme Mathias listens to community members speak against school closures at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanAustin school district trustee LaTisha Anderson listen to community members speak against school closures at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parent Jim Sease speaks to school district trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanTrustee member Jayme Mathias listens the district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley address her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan to during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanPease parents listen to the board of trustees during a meeting at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanJared Breckenridge plugs his ears while listening to trustee member Jayme Mathias during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley addresses her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanTrustee member LaTisha Anderson expresses her disagreement with removing Brooke and Pease on the school district's list without removing Sims and Metz during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley addresses her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA woman becomes emotional while listening to the district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley express her concerns with the lack of equity in the schools districts plan to close schools during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley walks toward the board of trustees after she was called up by Superintendent Paul Cruz by request of trustee member Arati Singh at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanSuperintendent Paul Cruz addresses the crowd during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley addresses her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA Pease parents listens to the district's fist equity office Dr. Stephanie Hawley during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanThe district's first equity officer Dr. Stephanie Hawley addresses her concerns with the lack of equity of the district's plan during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA Pease parents becomes emotional after trustee member gave support in the closures of Pease, Metz, Brooke and Sims elementaries during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA Pease parent reacts to the support of the plan voiced by trustee member Amber Elenz during a meeting at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. Tonight the school board will vote to decide the closing of schools. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanJared Breckenridge reacts as trustee member Jayme Mathias speaks during a meeting with the board of trustees at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. The board voted to close down the four campuses, Brooke, Metz, Sims and Pease. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanA woman hangs her head after trustee members voted to close Brooke, Pease, Metz and Sims elementaries during a meeting at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-StatesmanMembers of the board of trustees vote to close Brooke, Metz, Pease and Sims at the Austin School District headquarters on Monday, November 18, 2019. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]Austin American-Statesman