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Stories by Becky Fogel, KUT

New Texas teacher pay bill proposes increasing certain salaries by as much as $10,000

The chair of the Texas Senate Education Committee has outlined his vision for boosting teacher salaries, with a focus on retaining experienced educators. Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) filed Senate Bill 26 on Tuesday, a couple of weeks after Gov. Greg…

Austin ISD announces hiring freeze as budget deficit grows to $110 million

Lee esta historia en español Austin ISD will institute a districtwide hiring freeze on March 1 as the school district tries to claw its way out of a financial hole that has grown deeper since the 2024-25 budget was approved in…

Austin ISD says it is prepared for potential impact of Trump's immigration policies

Officials for the largest school district in Central Texas said they have taken steps to prepare for the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Austin ISD General Counsel Kenneth M. Walker II said the district began reviewing its…

Eanes ISD school board votes to combine two elementary schools to save money

The Eanes ISD school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to close Valley View Elementary as part of an effort to reduce an estimated $6.5 million budget deficit. District officials said closing the campus, which is currently at 50 percent of its operational…

$17.8 million in food funding for Austin-area kids is on the line when the Legislature convenes

A federal food assistance program could provide families in Hays, Williamson and Travis counties with more than $17.8 million to feed their kids over the summer if Texas decides to participate. But that’s a big if. The Texas Health and…

How Austin ISD is lowering its chronic absenteeism rate, which more than doubled during the pandemic

When Austin ISD students Jonnell and Layth started middle school a few years ago, their attendance was on the spottier side. Jonnell said she didn’t like going because it wasn’t easy to get along with some of her classmates at…

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Voters will choose Austin ISD school board trustee to represent entire district in runoff election

Voters living within Austin ISD’s boundaries will elect a new school board member after none of the six candidates running for at-large position 8 got enough votes to win the Nov. 5 election outright. Fernando Lucas de Urioste and Lindsey Stringer, the…

As voters weigh higher tax rate for Austin public schools, group of former trustees raises concerns

Voters are deciding whether to approve a tax rate increase that would generate new revenue for Central Texas’ largest public school district as it grapples with a $119 million budget deficit. Austin Independent School District officials have said that shortfall…

Austin ISD settles lawsuit over delayed special ed evaluations, creates fund for affected students

A federal court signed off on a settlement Wednesday between Disability Rights Texas and Austin ISD over its backlog of special education evaluations. The settlement requires the district to establish a fund to help cover the cost of services for students who…

Will free tuition help more students pursue higher ed? Austin Community College hopes so.

The summer before Xavier Daniels’ senior year was all about having fun. He traveled to Japan and New York and visited family in Massachusetts. But this summer was different. The 18-year-old said when he graduated from Leander High School, it…

Austin ISD is asking voters to approve a new tax rate to help fund pay raises, reduce deficit

The Austin ISD school board is asking voters to approve a higher property tax rate in November that would increase the district’s revenue by tens of millions of dollars. That money would be used to give more than 60 percent…

Austin Community College board approves 4.5% raise, increasing hourly minimum wage to $23

The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a 4.5 percent across-the-board raise for employees. The new compensation package also increases the hourly minimum wage from $22 to $23, which also works out to a 4.5 percent…

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