Austin public schools will be closed Nov. 8 as districts navigate their roles as polling sites and the attendant safety risks in the wake of school shootings and threats to poll workers.
Campuses have been used as polling sites for years, but the influx of visitors during school hours now poses security challenges. Districts either have to close, forcing parents to find child care alternatives, or figure out how to reconfigure safety plans and the flow of traffic.
Austin ISD is canceling classes, joining schools in Dallas and San Antonio, to make way for voters.
