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Stories by Becky Fogel, KUT

Austin-area school districts want a Travis County judge to block changes to how Texas grades them

A Travis County judge is considering whether to block the Texas Education Agency from making changes to the A-F accountability rating system, which evaluates school performance. Seven school districts, including Del Valle ISD, sued Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in August. Since…

Austin ISD may still face conservatorship under the state's alternative special ed plan

Austin Independent School District has released the plan that the Texas Education Agency proposed to improve special education services in the district. Interim Superintendent Matias Segura announced Wednesday that the TEA had presented the district an alternative to a special education…

Austin ISD making progress on school safety projects included in 2022 bond

Joslin Elementary School Principal ChaoLin Chang walked along the edge of the campus on Menchaca Road in South Austin, pointing to where a 6-foot-tall fence is going to be installed. “This is our existing fence. The new fence will pretty…

Austin ISD considers adding 70 police officers to comply with new Texas school safety law

Lee esta historia en español The Austin Independent School District is considering nearly doubling the size of its police department to comply with a new state law that takes effect Sept. 1. House Bill 3 is a piece of sweeping school…

More Austin ISD students will eat breakfast for free after Texas ups funding for school meals

On a bright, hot July day, students trickle into the cafeteria at Akins Early College High School in South Austin. There, they can grab chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches, carrots and peas, fresh fruit and a roll for free. They’re greeted…

Austin ISD is getting federal money to install solar panels at more than a dozen campuses

The Austin Independent School District is one of two dozen school systems nationwide to get a new federal grant to make campuses more energy efficient. Austin ISD will receive nearly $15 million for its Solar for Schools project through the…

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Austin ISD school board approves deficit budget as recapture payment nears $1 billion

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees has adopted a deficit budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The vote happened a little before 1 a.m. Friday. The deficit was not a surprise. Back in May, the board approved significant…

Austin ISD requests review of state’s plan to manage its special education department

The Austin Independent School District announced Monday that it is requesting an informal review of the state’s plan to oversee the district’s special education department. Texas Education Agency officials announced last month that they wanted to install conservators because Austin…

There's no easy fix to Austin ISD's special education evaluation backlog. Students are left waiting.

Kathryn Whitley Chu’s daughter was 2 and a half years old when the COVID-19 pandemic began. While stuck at home, her family had gotten used to the way the young girl spoke. But when she returned to preschool 17 months later,…

What's at stake in the Texas school voucher debate

Three terms are coming up over and over again this legislative session: school choice, school vouchers and education savings accounts. They’re all related to the goal of giving families state money to send their kids to nonpublic schools. One of…

More than 70 percent of Austin ISD employees are burdened by housing costs, survey finds

Lee esta historia en español More than 70 percent Austin Independent School District employees are burdened by the cost of housing in the city, according to an online survey the district conducted this year. Many of the respondents said the…

Austin ISD expects to complete all 2022 bond projects in the next six years

Lee esta historia en español. The Austin Independent School District plans to modernize more than two dozen campuses over the next six years. Some campuses will be partially renovated, while others will be completely rebuilt. The projects are part of…

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