Austin ISD sets new walkout monitoring rules for campus police as immigration protests continue

Updated rules take effect Feb. 9 amid student-led demonstrations

Austin ISD announced updated protest and walkout protocols that change how the district’s police and staff will monitor student demonstrations during the school day, after what district leaders described as an increase in student-led protests over the past two weeks. The revised procedures are scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

The changes come after several recent walkouts in which some students moved beyond campus boundaries and gathered at off-campus locations, including the Texas Capitol. Austin ISD has emphasized that these events are not sponsored or endorsed by the district and that its operational priority remains classroom instruction during instructional hours.

What the new monitoring protocol requires

Under the updated plan, the district establishes a 300-foot threshold from school buildings to determine how supervision and law enforcement monitoring will be handled during walkouts:

• Walkouts occurring on campus and within 300 feet of the school building will be monitored by campus administrators and Austin ISD Police.
• If a walkout moves more than 300 feet from campus, administrators and other staff are expected to remain on campus, while law enforcement follows students to monitor safety.
• Once students are off campus, local law enforcement agencies are expected to monitor students.

Austin ISD has also underscored practical limits on supervision once students enter public spaces. District communications to families have stated that the ability to ensure every student’s safety is significantly reduced off campus due to the open nature of public areas and the potential scale of participation.

Student attendance consequences and campus responsibilities

The district’s walkout FAQ states that students who leave class to participate during the school day will be marked with an unexcused absence and required to make up missed work, applying the same standard regardless of the protest’s cause. Austin ISD also notes that staff cannot physically prevent students from leaving campus.

For students with special medical or support needs, the district has stated that campus leaders are responsible for identifying those students during a walkout and contacting caregivers directly. If a student leaves campus and does not return by the end of the school day, the district says it may be unable to facilitate a return to campus or ensure a safe return home.

Staff expectations aligned with new state guidance

Austin ISD told employees it is aligning staff expectations with guidance issued this week by the Texas Education Agency. District directives state that staff are not permitted to participate in, help plan, provide guidance for, or endorse student-sponsored walkouts, except when directed for safety and monitoring purposes. Teachers are expected to remain in class with students who do not participate.

The district also reiterates that political discussions may occur as part of instruction if conducted under district guidelines intended to support balanced, critical review. The district further states that protest materials may not be distributed in classrooms unless approved by a principal as part of a curricular activity.

Austin ISD has framed the updated protocol as a safety-focused operational plan aimed at keeping instruction running while accounting for the increased likelihood that walkouts may move beyond campus grounds.