By Claire McInerny & Jimmy Maas Report cards are out, and the Austin Independent School District received a preliminary grade of B for the 2018-19 school year from the Texas Education Agency. But the district also received failing grades at elementary and middle schools in the TEA’s first-ever evaluation of individual schools. Read all of […]
AISD
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Parents push back against possible boundary changes as Austin ISD works out school closure plan
The cafeteria of Bedichek Middle School in Southwest Austin was chaotic as almost 100 parents fought for the attention of AISD administrative staff. Some were still in work clothes, some in T-shirts. Almost all of them were asking questions – and sometimes things got heated. A district staffer had to pull a father into the […]
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Austin ISD says it needs more time to announce school closure plan
The Austin Independent School District will not publicly announce which schools it is considering for closures until Sept. 6. The board of trustees had been planning to review possible options at its August meeting. Now it will discuss scenarios at its Sept. 9 work session. In a letter to AISD community members, Superintendent Paul Cruz […]
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Confused about Austin ISD’s decision to close schools? You’re not alone.
The Austin Independent School District is in the middle of a process to decide which schools to close and consolidate in the city. It announced in February that the closures needed to happen to help the district’s financial situation; later that month, the board approved the move. Since then, district staffers have been trying to […]
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Austin ISD school board approves raises for teachers, hiring of new equity officer
The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted Monday to approve a $1.6 billion budget, which includes across-the-board raises for school employees. The board also voted unanimously to hire Stephanie Hawley as AISD’s first chief equity officer. During public comment at the school board meeting, teachers and district staff thanked the board and the […]
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AISD’s plan to close schools prompts discussion on boosting equity in Austin public schools
The Austin School Board approved its guidelines for closing and consolidating schools Monday night, but much of the discussion ahead of the vote just before midnight centered on increasing equity in Austin public schools. Trustees Ann Teich and Jayme Mathias proposed measures that sought to balance access to nearby schools and boost socioeconomic diversity in […]
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To better market its schools, Austin ISD is turning to Realtors
Two dozen Realtors sit in the bleachers of the Burger Athletic Center, eating pastries and sipping on coffee. They’re listening to administrators from the Austin Independent School District preview the day ahead, which is a six-hour tour of schools in South Austin. The point of the tour is to help families already living in Austin […]
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Here are the regions Austin ISD is using in its plan to close schools
Austin Independent School District announced in February its plan to close and consolidate some schools. Now it has a clear plan for how to choose which schools. To make this decision, AISD administrative staff divided the district into seven regions. The regions aren’t based on attendance zones and don’t match school board districts. The point […]
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Austin ISD removes Andrews principal accused of discriminating against immigrant parents
The Austin Independent School District has removed Andrews Elementary Principal Gabriela Soto after parents and teachers accused her of discriminating against immigrant parents. A group of school advocates held a press conference Monday to publicize the accusations. Parents said Soto made negative comments about immigrant parents and wouldn’t let parents serve on the PTA board […]
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Activists demand action after Andrews principal is accused of bias against immigrant parents
A dozen community activists assembled outside Andrews Elementary School in East Austin Monday to demand the school district do more about Andrews’ principal, who is accused of discriminating against immigrant parents. The Austin Independent School District is investigating Gabbie Soto after parents and community organizers said she made comments against immigrants and changed the PTA […]
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Austin ISD board approves process to close some schools by August 2020
The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees voted unanimously Monday to move forward with a plan for closing and consolidating schools. The decision to close schools comes as the district continues to face declining enrollment. Demographic reports show enrollment will continue to drop, so the district says it is financially irresponsible to keep all […]
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Austin ISD board members push back on short timeline to close schools
The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees is balking at the administration’s plan to announce school closures by summer. AISD has lost more than 6,000 students in the past six years, and enrollment is projected to continue its decline. As a result, the district will receive less money from the state. At the board’s […]