APS considering dissolving Woodson Kindergarten Center

(ABC 6 News) – Austin Public Schools is considering a move that would dissolve the Woodson Kindergarten Center, ABC 6 News has learned.

ABC 6 News has confirmed that Woodson Kindergarten Center could be closed as they look to realign K-4th grade.

According to the May 8, school board agenda, a vote is on the table for kindergarten students to return to neighborhood buildings and early childhood programming be placed at Woodson starting in the 2024-2025 school year.

Rumors spread like wildfire the past two days.

ABC 6 News contacted every school board member as well as superintendent Joey Page Thursday.

None of them would do an interview with us, but confirmed that this will be on the agenda at Monday’s school board meeting.

In statement Austin Public Schools said:

“One of the items on the agenda is a motion for K-4 realignment which, if approved, would see Kindergarten students move back to their neighborhood schools beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. More information will be available tomorrow when the agenda is released.”

Parents are still already concerned.

“Everyone would like to be informed of what’s going on. I think if we had the opportunity to share our voice and our opinion, we would like to be able to have that. It feels like this has come about pretty quickly, the information about this. So, i think it’s caught people off guard a little bit and has made people a bit uncomfortable and uneasy. I think even if there is a transition, we would like to be apart of the process of how that goes,” Dave Merrill explained.

Some parents say Woodson has allowed their kids to grow in a positive learning environment and would be heartbroken if the school district decides to move in another direction.

“I love seeing my kid happy hear. She’s a goofy kid who likes to say she wants to stay home, she’s a home body she likes to stay home she’s a little introverted but it’s just that their something special about Woodson this thriving in my own kids,” Kara Page said.

And if kindergartners move out… who would move in?

Some people are floating around the idea that the community learning center could move in, that facility was closed down in the fall because of a bat infestation.

But again, that is all up to the school board.

There are still a lot of questions left unanswered tonight by the school district and board including how would this impact over-crowding in schools, how would the district transition kids back into their neighborhood schools and, again, what would become of this building?

The school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 8.