The Austin Independent School District board of trustees unanimously passed the Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget at Monday’s regular meeting, and thanks to a record increase in certified property values, the district will most likely avoid dipping into its contingency funds. This year’s budget has been the subject of a long, drawn-out process that balanced employee demands for […]
Courtney Griffin
Posted inAISD
AISD changes on the horizon after 84th session
Teachers, staff and students are no strangers to state legislators fiddling with school ratings or standardized testing, and this past legislative session was no exception. Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees received an update on changes brought by the 84th Legislature after lawmakers passed 111 bills that will affect school districts statewide. […]
Posted inAISD
AISD trustees lean toward transparent appointment process
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees laid out a timeline for potential District 7 applicants at a special meeting Tuesday night. Most of that process will be open to the public. In a 6-1 decision with District 1 Trustee Edmund Gordon opposed and Vice President Amber Elenz absent, board members decided to honor […]
Posted inAISD
AISD hears final budget draft
On Monday, the Austin Independent School District’s chief financial officer gave trustees the good news first: AISD will have more revenue than it expected to have in June’s version of the Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget. But most of it will go to the state. Presenting AISD’s near-finalized budget to the board, CFO Nicole Conley said that changes […]
Posted inAISD
AISD seat open to applicants
Austin Independent School District board members achieved another small step in the ever-evolving process to replace longtime Board Member Robert Schneider. At Monday’s workshop meeting, trustees decided to open Southwest Austin’s District 7 seat to all qualified applicants instead of appointing the area’s runner-up from the November 2014 election. Trustees hope to have the recently emptied seat filled by the […]
Posted inWhispers
Eight AISD schools miss state mark
According to recently released Texas Education Agency reports, eight Austin Independent School District campuses are not up to state standards. The TEA gave Martin Middle School, Dobie Middle School, Mendez Middle School, Brooke Elementary School, Govalle Elementary School, Norman Elementary School, Rodriguez Elementary School and Widen Elementary School “Improvement Required” ratings based on campus performance […]
Posted inAISD
AISD forgoes special election
In a dramatic, down-to-the-wire 4-4 decision late Monday night, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees opted to appoint a replacement for Southwest Austin’s open seat rather than dish out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a special election. The District 7 position was vacated July 28 after veteran board member Robert Schneider passed […]
Posted inLocal Government
BSEACD waives fees, passes budget
Because it might be more of a hassle than it’s worth, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board of directors decided at its regular meeting Thursday to waive a new permit application fee when passing next year’s budget. Approved in a 4-1 vote with board member Robert Larsen dissenting, the decision will subsequently require the […]
Posted inTransportation
CTRMA announces MoPac project delay, again
Mike Heiligenstein, the executive director for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, told board members Wednesday that the MoPac Improvement Project is expected to be fully operational sometime in the second half of 2016, a far cry from its originally stated Sept. 17, 2015, completion date. Lead contractor CH2M Hill is responsible for the design and construction […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD trustee Robert Schneider passes away
Austin Independent School District officials announced the death of school board member Robert Schneider, who passed away surrounded by his family Tuesday morning. Schneider was one of the longest-serving trustees on the current school board. He was elected to the board of trustees in 2002 and dedicated 13 years of service as the District 7 […]
Posted inTransit
MetroRail downtown station expansion plans underway
Capital Metro staff wants MetroRail’s downtown station on Fourth Street to become a staple in the area’s transportation corridor, and on Monday, board members were shown two proposed ways to expand the terminal’s platform. Javier Arguello, CapMetro’s director of long-range planning, said the downtown expansion project is about 10 percent complete. Staff kicked off the […]
Posted inTransportation
CTRMA hears mixed legislative review
Mike Heiligenstein, the executive director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, told CTRMA board members at their most recent meeting that staff met a great deal with state representatives during the recent 84th legislative session – and they think it paid off. Jerry Valdez, a lobbyist who worked with CTRMA, said it was the […]