A task force created by the Austin Independent School District released a report outlining budget cuts and ways the district can bring in more money. Some of the more dramatic recommendations are redrawing attendance zones, closing schools and cutting magnet programs. The task force, which has met several times since June, was made up of […]
AISD
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Austin ISD budget document suggests consolidating 12 schools to cut costs
Facing a shortfall and declining enrollment, the Austin Independent School District is considering consolidating schools, among other options, to cut its deficit by as much as $55 million over the next few years. A budget document sent to the Austin school board shows the district is considering two possible options. One would consolidate 12 under-enrolled […]
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Austin teachers fear less planning time, increased class sizes
About two dozen teachers showed up to the Nov. 26 meeting of the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees to voice their concerns about a proposal floated by the district that would reduce the teacher-to-student ratio in middle schools and high schools. The current district staffing guideline for secondary schools is 29 students to […]
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AISD board approves one Confederate name change, delays others
Eight months after voting to find new names for five facilities named after veterans of the Confederate military, the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday approved renaming one building, but punted on the remaining four. As a result of the board’s action, the Allan Center, formerly named for Confederate Army Officer John […]
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Austin ISD faces unpopular options to fix budget: Closing schools and redrawing boundaries
It’s time for the Austin Independent School District to do something drastic to improve its financial situation, says a member of a task force studying its budget. On the table: closing schools and changing boundaries. “There are some really key things that the district can look at and they’ve known about and quite frankly they’ve […]
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Austin school board, communities clash over names for Confederate-named schools
The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees will vote next Monday on what to rename four schools currently named after members of the Confederacy. The board will decide between honoring the schools’ wishes, which in some cases means no name change, or choosing entirely new names. The board voted in February to change the names of […]
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Austin ISD seeking parent input on new sex ed curriculum
The Austin Independent School District is seeking parental input as it prepares to rewrite its human sexuality curriculum. The district hasn’t revised its elementary and middle school curriculum in 12 years. Parents received an online survey Wednesday inviting them to give input on which grade level various lessons will be taught. For example, parents will […]
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Cruz gets another year at helm of AISD
The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees only took a few minutes Monday night to approve a one-year extension of Superintendent Paul Cruz’s contract. The extension means that Cruz will continue getting paid $310,000 a year through 2021. After getting a 1.5 percent pay hike last year, Cruz did not request a salary increase […]
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Here are the candidates for Austin ISD board of trustees
Five seats on the Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees will be on the ballot Nov. 6. The role of the school board is to oversee the AISD superintendent and district administration. The board votes on district policy and budgets, and sets tax rates. Members serve four-year terms. You can see which district you […]
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Some argue proposed new names for Austin schools don’t leave Confederacy behind
Despite momentum earlier this year to rid Austin Independent School District properties of links to the Confederacy, the district’s board of trustees is facing pushback over proposed new names. At a meeting last night to publicly discuss recommendations for Sidney Lanier and John H. Reagan high schools, the Allan Center and Zachary Taylor Fulmore Middle […]
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Here are the new names proposed for Austin ISD buildings tied to Confederate figures
The Austin Independent School District’s board of trustees is scheduled to vote Oct. 22 on the proposed new names for four AISD buildings named for Confederate figures. After a long dispute about whether the buildings commemorated the state’s struggle with racism and inequity, the board voted 7-2 in February to change the names. The buildings […]
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Declining enrollment, segregation dominate AISD board meeting
The Austin Independent School Board’s unanimous decision to spend $25 million modernizing Sanchez Elementary School was welcomed by a substantial contingent of those who packed the board’s chambers Monday night, but it hardly assuaged long-term concerns from east side activists who say that the school district is allowing East Austin schools to flounder. The first […]