Political Involvement

An Austin American-Statesman article about the September 15th protest.

A photo of protestors during the September 15, 1989 protest.  

Throughout the history of Metz Elementary, parents have taken political action to create a better environment for the students. They have done this through various ways, but perhaps the biggest has been the organization of protests to address issues that have effected Metz and its community. This newspaper clip shows parents protesting outside Metz Elementary when AISD decided to lease a new school in a primarily white-suburb while Metz continued to be underfunded and was in need of resources. 

Parents at the protests had strong feelings about the new lease program:

"Our school is 73 years old and we have been asking for a new school for 30 years. They've promised us one several times and we didn't get one... We're being ignored." 

The PTA played a big role in parental organizing, and the newspaper clip states that the PTA had organized picketing in front of the school district's administrative offices as well. 

This newspaper clip by the Austin-American Statesman in 1989 further explains the outrage parents felt about the "crumbling" state of Metz Elementary. The article describes buildings that are falling apart; leaking roofs, floors that are in danger of collapsing, etc. 

An interviewed parent states: "Now we've been forgotten again. Many people here feel that because we are Hispanic, we are being discriminated against and had Metz been at some other location in Austin, we would be the ones getting a new school." 

Long-time East Austin resident Juventina Martinez, center, stands next to her son Paul Galvan, right, and his wife Landri Torrez, and two children Christian, 1, and Mary, 3, during a protest in opposition to East Austin school closures. Martinez has had several of her children attend Metz Elementary School, one of four schools slated for closure by the school district due to disrepair or under enrollment. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Community member Jared Breckenridge holds a poster in opposition to the Austin school closures during a meeting with the school district. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Political involvement on behalf of Metz' parents has continued to this day. These pictures show parents and other community members protesting the 2020-2021 plan by AISD to close not just Metz Elementary, but various schools which are situated east of Interstate 35 and contain deep historical roots in Austin black and Latino communities.

Parents and other community members have consistently been frustrated with the treatment they have recieved from AISD. In an article by the Austin-American Statesman, a woman whose family has lived in Austin's east side for over 60 years states: "AISD has never been loyal to its students... If AISD would fix what has been wrong for decades these schools would be up and functioning.” Some have argued that the decision by AISD to close Metz and several other school is an act of blatant racism. The district's chief equity officer made similar remarks: https://www.kut.org/education/2019-11-19/austin-isd-equity-officer-calls-closure-plan-racism-before-board-votes-to-close-four-schools  

In an interview with Claire McIerny who wrote this story, she spoke of many families who had seen generations of their kids go through Metz, and who would be particularly hurt by its closing.

Many Metz families have taken direct action to attempt to curtail the district's plan. A woman whose entire family went to Metz Elementary started a petition to stop AISD's plan, and many parents have supported it and become vocal about the plan. (See reporting on this story by Fox 7 Austin's Shannon Ryan:)