AUSTIN, Texas — One person is dead but has not been identified after the Austin Police Department responded to the scene of a deceased person call in South Austin Saturday afternoon.

According to officials, a deceased person was located in a parking lot just at around 12:25 p.m. at the 4400 Block of Pack Saddle Pass after officers responded to a check welfare urgent call.

The victim was pronounced deceased at 12:36 p.m. The incident is being investigated as a suspicious death, it is not being investigated as a homicide.

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The identity of the victim is still unknown, and the age and sex of the victim has not been released.

Anyone with information that could help the investigation is encouraged to call the APD homicide unit at 512-477-3588 or APD Crimestoppers at 512-472-8477.

A possible state takeover continues to loom over the Austin Independent School District after the Texas Education Agency denied the district’s request for an accountability pause for three middle schools.

The denial also affects money that would have gone toward Burnet, Dobie and Webb middle schools, which have each received “F” ratings four times since 2019. A fifth “F” rating would open the district up to a state takeover.

Austin ISD schools expect to see their accountability scores, or grades, later this summer. If Burnet, Dobie, and Webb middle schools receive a fifth “F” each — all in the last seven years — the district could face a state takeover.

Houston ISD was taken over by the state in the 2023-2024 school year, and it has been reported as a rocky ride for teachers and families.

Toni Templeton, a senior research scientist at the University of Houston Education Research Center, said, “Generally, what we’re seeing is a large exodus of both teachers and students from the district.” Templeton and two colleagues released the first part of an ongoing study into the Houston takeover in January. Templeton said, “What that signals to us is that parents are choosing to put students in a different schooling option,” including a neighboring district or charter schools.

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Austin ISD has not been taken over, and the district’s future hinges on the next set of ratings. Asked whether Austin ISD is in a vulnerable place and how likely a takeover is, a district spokesperson provided a statement released by Superintendent Matias Segura on Thursday, saying in part, “Over the last two years, student outcomes have continued to improve across Austin ISD.”

Ken Zarifis, president of Education Austin, also pointed to improvement while raising concerns about the state’s authority. “I think the state will take over a school district if it wants to, and I think that’s a problem, but what we’ve got here is we’ve got some information that I think that is hopeful that we’ve got to produce as far as test scores,” Zarifis said.

He added, “Yeah, I think it’s really important to see what they’re doing now? Not, what are they doing in 2022? What are they doing today? What have they been doing the last few years? And there’s been an improvement, and they’re very hopeful for at least two of the schools.”

A Texas Education Agency spokesperson said that because accountability ratings come out in August, it is too soon to speculate.

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Austin is considering replacing the Barton Springs Bridge, citing concerns about the structure’s condition and long-term safety. However, preservation advocates are urging city leaders to fully explore alternatives before moving forward.

This week, Preservation Texas named Barton Springs Bridge one of the most endangered places for 2026.

“It’s a major road and a lot of stuff happening around here all the time, you know, public safety access, all these things are huge concerns, too. But we think that the historic nature of the bridge is really important,” said Meghan Namour, Policy and Outreach Planner at Preservation Austin.

According to city officials, the 100-year-old bridge has deteriorated over time, with cracking concrete, missing sections of concrete and other issues that have raised concerns about its future.

In 2024, the city received a $32 million bridge improvement grant from the Federal Highway Administration to help fund the project.

For longtime Austin resident Bethani Ragland, the bridge represents a piece of the city’s history.

“I’ve been here so long, since my childhood,” said Bethani Ragland, Austin resident.

She said she was disappointed to learn the bridge could eventually be replaced.

“It was built well because I haven’t noticed anything, no cracking no nothing. There’s no reason to take the bridge down. It’s just more construction in Austin,” said Ragland.

City of Austin officials say the project must still go through the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, review process.

In a statement to KXAN, the city said:

“The Barton Springs Bridge project is currently at the 90% design milestone. The project received a $32M bridge improvement program grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and will go through a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and approval process which includes assessment of environmental assets and review of bridge alternatives. The NEPA document will review and evaluate the historic, environmental and archeological significance of the bridge. There will be an analysis of both replacement and rehabilitation alternatives included. The NEPA process is expected to be completed in 2027.”

Preservation advocates say they hope that process includes meaningful consideration of ways to preserve the bridge.

“In our own city, we have examples of historic bridges that have been repurposed for new or different uses. There’s the Pfluger Pedestrian and Bike Bridge that was added next to the Lamar Bridge. Not every case is the same but we would love for those options to at least be meaningfully considered,” said Namour.