NORTH LOOP NA: Letter from AISD District 3 Board Trustee Dr. Kevin Foster
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Brian Bedrosian
Nov 17, 2025, 12:15:25 PM11/17/25
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Good Morning Neighbors.
I am sharing a letter that our District 3 School Board Trustee Dr. Kevin Foster sent out yesterday to the community. I have spoken with Dr. Foster and I know that for so many reasons this letter was not easy to write. Please do him the kindness of taking the time to read this thoroughly.
While I have many personal thoughts about this topic which I am happy to share and may collect in a separate email - I am amplifying this to the community so that you can hear about our representative's thoughts on this very important matter in his own words.
For the Ridgetop Elementary community and the greater North Loop NA family - if you would like to hear from Principal Schultz she is hosting a call this evening from 7-8pm on Google Meet. Details are below. I understand that Principal Olano gave a similar talk to the Reilly Elementary community on Friday.
Letter from AISD District 3 School Board Trustee Dr. Kevin Foster, November 17th, 2025:
Hi all,
This has been a tough several weeks and we now have the final plan the trustees will vote on.
I have been through the range of emotions, and though I am neither happy nor surprised about Bryker coming off the list, I have restricted my focus to what will happen in the communities in which I most directly work and serve. Though the process was painful for many, the pieces of the plan impacting D3 and much of D1 and D2 have been improved from the starting point.
With Wooten and Pickle now configured such that current students can stay, those pieces of the plan have gotten more equitable. Though some will point out the negatives with the refinement, my view of service to all the communities is that this is a net improvement.
With Maplewood not closing yet, we can ensure the preservation of Campbell as one of the last spaces in the city that serves Black families in the way they deserve. I don't trust or expect others who have not directly suffered the erasure of Black people from this city to understand this and I don't need them to. I am just happy to see Campbell allowed to move forward as a space that lives into the rich heritage of east Austin.
With Palm staying open, a strong school that is doing well serving an almost entirely economically disadvantaged community gets to keep going forward.
The Montessori strand to Reilly honors those who want Montessori, but limits the predictable ways in which the model conflicts with the accountability system. If it were me I would not continue the program, but this is what compromise in service to all, not just some, looks like. Montessori can go forward, be supported as it deserves, while not taking an inordinate amount of resources from other efforts. If Montessori comes to Reilly, I will support it strongly and with joy.
Reilly families, Ridgetop families, Pickle families and Wooten families have a wonderful opportunity to keep growing in line with the values so many of us claim to hold. They have been amazing throughout. Change is hard, but the possibilities for next year are beautiful. I will lean into that and support everyone to the extent I can.
I am saddened for the closure of Barrington, but also excited about the expansion of Guerrero Thompson. I am also excited about the new facilities that will come on line in the next months and years, including Wooten, Wooldridge, Burnet, Harris and others in Trustee District 3 and Trustee District 1.
I have questions and will follow up on SpEd particulars, on enrollment plans, principal hirings, staffing to need, and many other pieces of the puzzle.
The whiplash that the back and forth and community engagement produced was painful and will require healing, but it involved earnest efforts to hear community.
In the end, I will accept this plan, not with happiness, but in order to squeeze the absolute best out of our situation. My goal remains to serve all well and to particularly look to the service to our kids and communities who needs us most.
Thank you to each of you for your counsel and insights and time. This is where my head and heart are today.
This has been a tough several weeks and we now have the final plan the trustees will vote on.
I have been through the range of emotions, and though I am neither happy nor surprised about Bryker coming off the list, I have restricted my focus to what will happen in the communities in which I most directly work and serve. Though the process was painful for many, the pieces of the plan impacting D3 and much of D1 and D2 have been improved from the starting point.
With Wooten and Pickle now configured such that current students can stay, those pieces of the plan have gotten more equitable. Though some will point out the negatives with the refinement, my view of service to all the communities is that this is a net improvement.
With Maplewood not closing yet, we can ensure the preservation of Campbell as one of the last spaces in the city that serves Black families in the way they deserve. I don't trust or expect others who have not directly suffered the erasure of Black people from this city to understand this and I don't need them to. I am just happy to see Campbell allowed to move forward as a space that lives into the rich heritage of east Austin.
With Palm staying open, a strong school that is doing well serving an almost entirely economically disadvantaged community gets to keep going forward.
The Montessori strand to Reilly honors those who want Montessori, but limits the predictable ways in which the model conflicts with the accountability system. If it were me I would not continue the program, but this is what compromise in service to all, not just some, looks like. Montessori can go forward, be supported as it deserves, while not taking an inordinate amount of resources from other efforts. If Montessori comes to Reilly, I will support it strongly and with joy.
Reilly families, Ridgetop families, Pickle families and Wooten families have a wonderful opportunity to keep growing in line with the values so many of us claim to hold. They have been amazing throughout. Change is hard, but the possibilities for next year are beautiful. I will lean into that and support everyone to the extent I can.
I am saddened for the closure of Barrington, but also excited about the expansion of Guerrero Thompson. I am also excited about the new facilities that will come on line in the next months and years, including Wooten, Wooldridge, Burnet, Harris and others in Trustee District 3 and Trustee District 1.
I have questions and will follow up on SpEd particulars, on enrollment plans, principal hirings, staffing to need, and many other pieces of the puzzle.
The whiplash that the back and forth and community engagement produced was painful and will require healing, but it involved earnest efforts to hear community.
In the end, I will accept this plan, not with happiness, but in order to squeeze the absolute best out of our situation. My goal remains to serve all well and to particularly look to the service to our kids and communities who needs us most.
Thank you to each of you for your counsel and insights and time. This is where my head and heart are today.
Information on the Ridgetop Elementary Community Meeting TONIGHT at 7pm:
Monday, Nov 17 · 7–8 PM
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/aho-asrd-ehy
Or dial: +1 208-843-1116 PIN: 142031384
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/aho-asrd-ehy?pin=5833640494757
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/aho-asrd-ehy
Or dial: +1 208-843-1116 PIN: 142031384
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/aho-asrd-ehy?pin=5833640494757
If you have any questions or concerns - please reach out to myself or one of our many community representatives.
Thanks all,
Talk soon
b
PS - for clarity - the AISD Trustee districts (numbers and boundaries) are different from the City of Austin Council districts. North Loop is in AISD District 3 but split between CoA Council Districts 4+9
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