An Austin Independent School District subcontractor might have shortchanged its workers by more than $12,000 in total for a project that was contracted in 2009. If settled as is, it could potentially be the largest case of wage noncompliance within AISD in five years. At last Monday’s regular meeting, AISD board members took up the […]
Education
Posted inAISD
AISD avoids dipping into savings
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 […]
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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 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 inAISD, Austin, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Austin Achieve and charter education
John Armbrust and Emily Morrison join Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about their Austin Achieve charter school and charter education in general. Show is embedded below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/216601906″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inAISD, Austin
Lack of program metrics could complicate AISD equity assessment
Austin Independent School District students have roughly 98 campus-based summer programs to choose from this year. However, there is no single reliable system tracking program-related student metrics. It’s a flaw that AISD Board Member Kendall Pace said could hinder the district’s attempt to assess equity in the coming months. “We need to get a clear picture […]
Posted inAISD
AISD superintendent eliminates top positions
[gview file=”https://austinmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/AISD_Org_Chart_20141112.pdf”] Austin Independent School District Superintendent Paul Cruz has said that his vision is to “create an effective and streamlined organization that does not duplicate programs and services” during his time in the captain’s chair. That’s one of the reasons he decided to eliminate 11 of the district’s top administrative positions and reshuffle department […]
Posted inAISD
AISD purchases $14 million in devices
Students and teachers across Austin Independent School District campuses will soon see new mobile devices popping up in classrooms, but not everyone will get an iPad in next year’s locker. AISD board members unanimously approved $14 million to purchase 20,000 new mobile devices that will replace outdated equipment. The funds are a portion of the $81 […]
Posted inAISD
AISD stalls on employee raises
Austin Independent School District board members heard better budgeting news Monday but still could not come to an agreement on employee raises. The wrong decision could mean “draconian” cuts in future years. Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley presented board members with the revised budget, which is a step away from August’s recommended budget, and asked […]