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Education

Will free tuition help more students pursue higher ed? Austin Community College hopes so.

The summer before Xavier Daniels’ senior year was all about having fun. He traveled to Japan and New York and visited family in Massachusetts. But this summer was different. The 18-year-old said when he graduated from Leander High School, it…

Austin ISD is asking voters to approve a new tax rate to help fund pay raises, reduce deficit

The Austin ISD school board is asking voters to approve a higher property tax rate in November that would increase the district’s revenue by tens of millions of dollars. That money would be used to give more than 60 percent…

Austin Community College board approves 4.5% raise, increasing hourly minimum wage to $23

The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a 4.5 percent across-the-board raise for employees. The new compensation package also increases the hourly minimum wage from $22 to $23, which also works out to a 4.5 percent…

Austin ISD’s budget deficit means staff pay will barely budge without voter help

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve a 2024-25 budget that will require the district to dip into its savings account to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Austin ISD’s annual operating budget will total nearly $954 million after a vote on…

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Why do so many Austin-area school districts have budget deficits?

Lee esta historia en español At an Austin ISD school board meeting back in March, Trustee Candace Hunter shared a sobering message. “There is no rescue coming. There’s no one coming to save us. It’s only going to get worse,” she said.…

The UT tower against a blue sky.

UT Austin, one of the city's largest employers, is eliminating most remote work

UT Austin will require “almost all” staff members to return to working on-site, full-time ahead of the fall semester. In an email to the campus community Wednesday, UT President Jay Hartzell said leaders of individual colleges and schools will finalize…

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An Austin-area school district says staff need a break, so it’s going to offer mental health days

Manor ISD is rolling out a new benefit during the 2024-2025 school year that will give employees time off to take care of their mental health. Superintendent Robert Sormani said he thinks it’s important to explicitly offer days off that are dedicated…

Austin ISD plans to cut at least $30 million from its next budget

The Austin Independent School District is working on ways to cut its $60 million budget deficit in half during the next school year, while trying to limit the impact it will have on classrooms. Austin ISD is one of the…

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Austin Community College will offer free tuition to high school grads

The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a pilot program offering free tuition to local students graduating from high school. Eight board members voted in favor of the program, with one abstaining. The board’s vote comes…

Austin-area schools overwhelmingly reject hiring chaplains as counselors

State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, praised school boards across Texas on Thursday for rejecting a Republican-led effort to let religious chaplains provide mental health services to students. “We are here to celebrate an important victory in the fight against…

Austin-area school board president abruptly resigns and leaves meeting

Del Valle ISD’s board meeting kicked off with a major announcement on Tuesday: Board President Rebecca Birch said she was resigning, effective immediately. She had served on the board for nearly 12 years and spent more than half of that…

5 questions with Austin ISD’s new superintendent, Matias Segura

Lee esta historia en español About one year after Matias Segura became the Austin Independent School District’s interim superintendent, he now has the permanent job. The school board unanimously voted to appoint him to the role. Austin ISD has not…

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