In a 6-1-2 vote with District 4 Trustee Julie Cowan voting against and President Kendall Pace and District 5 Trustee Amber Elenz abstaining, the Austin Independent School District board has given its final approval to the district’s new historically underutilized business program. In a lengthy discussion at Monday’s regular meeting, prior to the vote, Vice […]
Courtney Griffin
Posted inAISD
AISD announces Lee Elementary decision deadline
In a year defined by hard conversations about race and historical legacies, the Austin Independent School District has finally announced a date to vote on a potential name change for Robert E. Lee Elementary School. The issue was brought to the board by Hyde Park residents in July. In a brief statement Monday before more […]
Posted inAISD
AISD staff to formalize HUB participation program
On Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees directed staff to move forward with final plans for the district’s first official historically underutilized business program (known as HUB), though many board members expressed reservations. Although the issue has long been on the agenda of the AISD Board Oversight Committee on Excellence Through Equity, […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD calls for community input for possible new school
The Austin Independent School District announced that it will hold two meetings to gather community input about potentially building a new facility in the Mueller area. The meetings, christened “Imagine Northeast Austin,” will take place on Feb. 20, 8 to 10 a.m., at Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy (6401 N. Hampton Drive) and […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD’s yet-baked naming policy causes delays
At Monday’s board dialogue meeting, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees held off on telling staff to study possible fundraising methods that would be used to create an endowment for the new Performing Arts Center. Currently, the PAC is unnamed, and staff is looking at using a namesake to interest potential donors. However, […]
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AISD moves ahead with new equity assessment model
It’s been more than a year since the Texas Civil Rights Project sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education to call attention to disparities in the ways the Austin Independent School District educates its students. And despite AISD trustee grumblings about the district’s sluggish progress, board members on Monday directed staff to begin […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD to begin ticketing for stop-arm bus cameras
Watch out, drivers. On Monday, the Austin Independent School District will begin issuing camera-based citations to motorists who pass school buses that have flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm. More than 265 warnings have been issued to drivers since Jan. 7, but the soon-to-be-issued citations could come with a $300 fine. AISD partnered with […]
Posted inAISD, Austin, Uncategorized
AISD teacher appraisals impetus for possible new salary structure
In a unanimous vote Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees gave the green light to its new teacher appraisal system, which ties teacher appraisals to student performance on standardized tests. Kimiko Krekel, AISD’s executive director of educator quality, said the new appraisal system was also built with a second step in mind: revamping […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD names new board officers
At a special meeting Tuesday night, the Austin Independent School District elected new board officers. At-Large Trustee Kendall Pace will now serve as board president, replacing At-Large Trustee Gina Hinojosa, who resigned from the officer position. In her resignation announcement on Dec. 15, Hinojosa said she was stepping down because she had decided to run […]
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Shrinking AISD enrollment could be new normal
Trustees for the Austin Independent School District are asking district staff to let them know what variables they have control over after hearing grim student enrollment projections. At Monday’s workshop meeting, board members heard the results of an annual demographics report conducted by Davis Demographics & Planning Inc. The yearly report estimated that AISD’s enrollment will drop […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD releases grim student demographic predictions
The Austin Independent School District heard the results of its yearly demographic report Monday afternoon, and then again on Monday night at its 6:30 p.m. board meeting. The report, which informs the district about student population trends in the community and anticipates how those trends may affect the district, is particularly poignant given AISD’s loss […]
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AISD hires marketing firm to tackle enrollment woes
Land purchases and resignation announcements aside, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees took additional steps to address the district’s enrollment issues Monday. In a 7-0 vote with trustees Kendall Pace and Edmund Gordon abstaining, the board decided to spend $350,000 on marketing consultant Sanders\Wingo Advertising Inc, who will hopefully help stem an expected 4,000-student […]