Austin district fair to showcase programs at middle schools

Event is slated for Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at Fulmore Middle School.

The Austin school district will hold a middle school fair to showcase special academic programs to parents and primary students, as well as attract transfer students who live outside the district boundaries.

The event is slated for Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at Fulmore Middle School, 201 E. Mary St. Representatives from each of the 19 campuses will be on hand to answer questions from families.

Capital Metro is also offering free bus passes, which parents can pick up from their child’s campus parent support specialist. Translators will be available.

Some of the programming that Austin middle schools offer are single-sex schools, fine arts academies, magnet programs, college preparatory programs, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs.

Beginning Jan. 4, students who live outside of the Austin school district can apply to transfer into the Austin school district for the 201617 school year. The fair comes as the district has seen enrollment decline for the third year in the row.

The district lost 1,100 students this year, worse than expected — a trend that reflects changing demographics in Austin as well as the growing number of students attending charter schools.

Researchers have said that middle school years are usually the most important for a child’s education.

As adolescent students transition to those grade levels, student achievement and engagement drops, while problems with discipline and personal relationships become more pronounced.