Students learned in January that the school will dismantle the New Tech Academy over the summer and cut two long-standing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs: audio/video film and commercial photography.
The decision, which comes amid district-wide rezoning efforts and fluctuating enrollment numbers, marks the end of an era for a program that once defined the school’s approach to project-based learning. Interim Principal Carman DeLeon said the move has been under consideration for nearly five years.
“What drives programming is students,” DeLeon said. “When you all do choice sheets, whatever students choose determines what is popular at the time and what we continue with or don’t continue with.”
DeLeon noted that student interest in New Tech’s specific pathways began to wane approximately five years ago. By last year, the administration noticed that many pathways were becoming redundant, overlapping with the STEM and Arts and Humanities (AHA) academies.
“As programming just got really similar, we started noticing… how are we going to make sure that classes make?,” she said.
The dissolution of the academy marks the final chapter of a program that has seen several identity shifts since its inception. Originally established at Akins in 2006 to mirror professional workplaces. However, the academy has faced hurdles over the years. In 2013, the program underwent a major “redesign” to address issues with low enrollment and a lack of specific career pathways. At that time, school officials attempted to pivot the academy toward a focus on
“New Media” and computer studies to distinguish it from the STEM academy.
The closure is also a response to Austin ISD’s rezoning plans. As boundaries shift, Akins is expected to see a decrease in its student population as some students are diverted to Travis and Crockett high schools.
While some New Tech pathways are being relocated, the complete elimination of the Audio/Video Film and Commercial Photography programs has left many students feeling a sense of loss.
Audio/video teacher Kyle Monk expressed concern over how these cuts affect the diversity of the school’s offerings.
“The variety of things offered here is what makes this school great,” Monk said. “When you take away programs that students are passionate about, you risk losing that engagement.”
For many, the film and photography classes were the primary reason for choosing Akins. Senior Delaney Rios Lopez recalled falling in love with the school’s film program as an eighth-grader.
“I remember in eighth grade when I realized Akins had a film thing, I fell in love,” Rios Lopez said. “If this didn’t exist, I really would have felt very empty and very lost.”
Junior Daphne Foye echoed the sentiment, describing the program as a vital creative outlet.
“The idea of not having film next year, I just felt like one of my most creative outlets has been taken away,” Foye said. “There’s a piece of me that will never be fulfilled without getting to tell my story through visuals.”
Beyond the curriculum, students are mourning the loss of a specialized community. Junior Max Melton described the program as a “third place” for students who didn’t fit into traditional academic or arts molds like band or theater.
“It feels like I’ve been in this community of people, and this place that was specifically for kids like me,” Melton said.
“I never would have gotten into anything like editing and computer-related had New Tech and the classes within New Tech not existed.”
As the district moves toward a more budget-driven model for course offerings, students worry that the soul of the school’s creativity is being sacrificed. Senior Yuliza Castro-Hernandez noted the deep bonds formed in the program.
DeLeon emphasized that the administration is working to ensure students can still find relevant coursework within other academies. “We may not necessarily get rid of things; they might just be added to a different type of class,” DeLeon said.
