Austin Independent School District Board President Gina Hinojosa announced Monday that she will relinquish her position as president effective Tuesday. Hinojosa said she has decided to run for the District 49 seat in the Texas House of Representatives and recently submitted her election filings. If elected, her term would begin in 2017. “The law does […]
Courtney Griffin
Posted inWhispers
AISD to purchase two pieces of land in South Austin
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees announced Monday that it will move forward with purchasing two parcels of land, one in Southeast Austin and one in Southwest Austin. The board decided in March to set a deadline for a decision regarding the matter. According to then District 7 Trustee Robert Schneider, the district […]
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AISD board creates temporary budget committee
In order to better tackle the district’s financial complexities, Austin Independent School District At-Large Trustee Kendall Pace has put forward the idea of creating a new AISD budget committee that will look at the district’s multimillion-dollar (billion before state recapture) budget. But with Pace absent Monday night, board members went back and forth over whether […]
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Study: AISD passive participant in discrimination
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees heard troubling news Monday: AISD’s contracting process does nothing to combat entrenched discriminatory practices among businesses and governmental entities in the Austin area, according to a recent disparity study. The study, which began in May 2013, examined AISD, Travis County and the city of Austin’s business contracting and […]
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AISD changes school naming policy, barely
On Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees unanimously tweaked its facilities naming policy. Although the change clarified the district’s ability to abolish controversial school names, it provided little guidance on if and how such a process might unfold. Trustees agreed to strike out a clause in current policy that restricts the board […]
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AISD delays, but keeps “new” LASA on table
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees heard a barrage of new academic program proposals for South Austin on Monday. But at the end of the meeting, the long-discussed idea of creating South Austin’s version of the district’s prestigious Liberal Arts and Science Academy remained on the table. Although board members had previously anticipated […]
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AISD punts Confederate name changes to committee
With tension hanging thick in the air, Austin Independent School District trustees’ tempers rose as they discussed ways to tackle the politically and racially charged topic of potentially changing Confederate-related names associated with five AISD schools: Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus, Sidney Lanier High School, John H. […]
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AISD tightens military access to students
Military recruiters seeking to sign up future servicemen and -women will have less access to Austin Independent School District students than they did one year ago. On Monday, board members unanimously adopted new language in the district’s visitors policy that clarifies exactly where military recruiters can and cannot go. In accordance with federal laws, schools […]
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AISD superintendent gets 3 percent raise
Despite persistent talk of the Austin Independent School District’s unfavorable financial situation, board members approved a 3 percent raise for AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz after a 7-1-1 vote, with District 2 Trustee Jayme Mathias against and District 1 Trustee Edmund Gordon abstaining at Monday’s regular meeting. This raise brings Cruz’s base salary to $294,580 annually. […]
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AISD reviews staffing; changes could cost millions
With enrollment dropping, a tight budget and no sign of relief from the Supreme Court of Texas, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees trudged forward with its budget discussion Monday, assuming another year of limited resources and growing challenges. Despite approving this year’s budget only two months ago, board members have already begun […]
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Texas Education Agency commissioner resigns
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams, who has headed the agency since 2012, resigned from his position Thursday morning in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott. His resignation will be effective Jan. 1. In his letter, Williams cited a long-distance relationship with his wife as one of the reasons for his resignation. “After more than […]
Posted inAISD, Uncategorized
AISD considers new East Austin school
The Austin Independent School District has a chance to build a school on free land, but unfortunately that land is situated in a somewhat contentious area where current schools are struggling to fill seats and others have historically been insufficient in meeting student needs. Monday, board members continued to debate whether to build a new […]