Dille, Solis Lead Early Votes in Austin ISD Races
Early voting totals put Sarah Dille and Laurie Solis ahead in the contests for Austin ISD District 6 and District 7 school board seats.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration
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Early voting totals show Sarah Dille with 60% of the vote in Austin ISD District 6 and Laurie Solis with 60% in District 7, positioning both to represent their districts on the nine-seat school board. The totals are subject to change as Election Day results are tallied.
Why it matters
The board races come as Austin ISD grapples with a fiscal deficit and the threat of a state takeover. The district's closure of Paredes Middle School weeks before the school year began underscores the pressure on the board to address academic performance.
Early voting in the Austin ISD races shows Dille at 60% in District 6 and Solis at 60% in District 7, but these are preliminary figures. Final results will depend on Election Day tallies, which have not yet been reported.
The players
Austin Independent School District
The public school district serving Austin, Texas, which is facing a fiscal deficit and possible state takeover.
Texas Education Agency
The state agency responsible for public education oversight in Texas, which reassigned Paredes Middle School's failing history to Bailey Middle School and sets accountability ratings.
The details
Dille, a 48-year-old with 25 years of education experience, leads a field that also includes Marie Lebron and Alex San Martin in District 6 in South Austin. In District 7 in Southwest Austin, Solis, 51, leads 26-year-old Jimmy Counihan. Paredes Middle School was shuttered before the school year to avoid a fifth failing accountability rating, and its students were largely sent to Bailey Middle School, a B-rated school.
Timeline
Early voting totals were released on November 3, 2026, for the Austin ISD school board races.
Paredes Middle School was closed weeks before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Bailey Middle School must earn a D or higher from the Texas Education Agency this school year to avoid triggering the state's intervention law.
Local Governance Context
Austin ISD's situation mirrors the Texas Education Agency's accountability framework, under which repeated failing ratings can trigger state intervention. The school board elections will determine how the district responds to that pressure.
Austin families whose children attend Bailey Middle School or other district campuses will be affected by which board members take office, since the board sets priorities for the fiscal deficit and school closures. Residents in Districts 6 and 7 will see new representation depending on the final vote.
The takeaway
Voters in Austin's Districts 6 and 7 are choosing board members who will face decisions on school closures, the district's deficit, and the state's accountability threshold. Following the final vote tallies will show which direction the board takes.
What happens next
The final Austin ISD school board results will be determined after Election Day votes are tallied, and Bailey Middle School must earn a D or higher from the Texas Education Agency this school year to avoid triggering state intervention.
Further reading
For more on how district leadership is changing, see Administration coverage in Austin.
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