Last month, the Austin Independent School District voted to change the name of Robert E. Lee Elementary school, which currently honors a Confederate general from the Civil War. Although renaming issues persist, the concern has largely been resolved. However, at the request of a group of Austinites, the Historic Landmark Commission considered at its Monday […]
Education
Posted inAISD
AISD gives first peek at $1.3 billion dollar budget
The Austin Independent School District gave the public its first look at next year’s budget Monday. But to many, the song is the same as it was last year: Employees need more money, property taxes are skyrocketing and the district is still crippled by the requirement that it send tax revenue to the state. Ken […]
Posted inAISD
AISD hears results of Imagine NE Austin proposal
At Monday’s workshop meeting of the Austin Independent School District board of trustees, members heard the results of AISD staff’s community engagement effort known as Imagine Northeast Austin. The project, which posed questions to residents regarding future facilities and academic programming, was originally prompted by discussion over what to do with land in the Mueller […]
Posted inAISD
AISD trustees hear proposals for South Austin magnet school
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees heard five future programming proposals for a potential new South Austin magnet school, but that is about as far as planning went Monday night. At the board’s workshop meeting, Edmund Oropez, AISD’s chief officer of teaching and learning, presented programming possibilities envisioned by the South Magnet Planning […]
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AISD to seek bids for 10 properties
The Austin Club and the Austin Independent School District’s centrally located administrative headquarters — as well as other district-owned properties — might soon see an ownership change. On Monday, the AISD board of trustees announced that 10 district properties that are vacant or largely used for non-instructional purposes might be sold, leased or repurposed depending on […]
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AISD looks into becoming “innovation” district
On Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees heard a proposal that could provide the district with more flexibility in its establishment of school hours, student-to-teacher ratios and teacher benefits, among other things. According to AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz, the move – pursuing designation as a “District of Innovation” – could give AISD […]
Posted inAISD
AISD announces Lee Elementary decision deadline
In a year defined by hard conversations about race and historical legacies, the Austin Independent School District has finally announced a date to vote on a potential name change for Robert E. Lee Elementary School. The issue was brought to the board by Hyde Park residents in July. In a brief statement Monday before more […]
Posted inAISD
AISD staff to formalize HUB participation program
On Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees directed staff to move forward with final plans for the district’s first official historically underutilized business program (known as HUB), though many board members expressed reservations. Although the issue has long been on the agenda of the AISD Board Oversight Committee on Excellence Through Equity, […]
Posted inAISD
AISD moves ahead with new equity assessment model
It’s been more than a year since the Texas Civil Rights Project sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education to call attention to disparities in the ways the Austin Independent School District educates its students. And despite AISD trustee grumblings about the district’s sluggish progress, board members on Monday directed staff to begin […]
Posted inAISD, Austin, Uncategorized
AISD teacher appraisals impetus for possible new salary structure
In a unanimous vote Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees gave the green light to its new teacher appraisal system, which ties teacher appraisals to student performance on standardized tests. Kimiko Krekel, AISD’s executive director of educator quality, said the new appraisal system was also built with a second step in mind: revamping […]
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Shrinking AISD enrollment could be new normal
Trustees for the Austin Independent School District are asking district staff to let them know what variables they have control over after hearing grim student enrollment projections. At Monday’s workshop meeting, board members heard the results of an annual demographics report conducted by Davis Demographics & Planning Inc. The yearly report estimated that AISD’s enrollment will drop […]
Posted inAISD
AISD hires marketing firm to tackle enrollment woes
Land purchases and resignation announcements aside, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees took additional steps to address the district’s enrollment issues Monday. In a 7-0 vote with trustees Kendall Pace and Edmund Gordon abstaining, the board decided to spend $350,000 on marketing consultant Sanders\Wingo Advertising Inc, who will hopefully help stem an expected 4,000-student […]