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 many Central Texas districts facing tough choices because the state’s spending on public education has […]
Education
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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 several months after ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart first announced the proposal in January. He described […]
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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 Christian nationalism,” Talarico said during a news conference at the Texas Capitol. “There was a […]
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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 tenure as president. Birch’s decision came the same night the Del Valle school board swore […]
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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 had a permanent superintendent for about 18 months. Segura took over for the previous interim superintendent, Anthony Mays. […]
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Austin to offer free library cards to people outside the city
People who live outside the city will soon no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin public library card. City Council voted to remove the fees last week after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation, commissioners said Austin Public Library is committed to equity, which includes removing barriers that prevent access […]
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Austin ISD will post superintendent job instead of conducting a national search
The Austin Independent School District is scrapping previous plans for a nationwide search to find a permanent superintendent. The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to post the job starting Friday. School boards have the power to hire and fire superintendents, and Austin ISD Board President Arati Singh said when boards want to […]
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Will new science textbooks in Texas accurately depict climate change? Some worry they won’t.
The Texas State Board of Education is slated to vote today on which new science textbooks to approve for use in public schools. Some public education advocates are worried the Republican-controlled board will sign off only on materials that water down information about climate change. Emily Witt is the communications strategist with the Texas Freedom Network, a progressive group […]
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Austin ISD hits key milestone to reduce backlog of special education evaluations
The Austin Independent School District this week met a key requirement outlined in a state-ordered plan to improve its special education services. The Texas Education Agency’s corrective action plan required Austin ISD to complete all overdue special education evaluations for which parental permission was obtained before the 2022-23 school year by Oct. 31. AISD also needed […]
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Tuition drop at Concordia University seen as move to increase access, enrollment
In a bid to bolster enrollment that has slipped since the Covid-19 pandemic, Concordia University will reduce its published tuition cost by 40 percent beginning next school year, to $23,500. The change is a reduction as well as an acknowledgement of the standard cost paid by most students once financial aid and assistance are factored […]
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Rural schools near Austin say they feel left behind as governor pushes for vouchers
For Randy Willis, public schools are crucial to rural communities. “I think the rural schools are the heart of Texas. They’re the backbone of Texas,” he said. Willis is the executive director of the Texas Association of Rural Schools, which represents about 375 small districts. He thinks the state’s Republican leaders may have forgotten the role […]
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Austin ISD may still face conservatorship under the state’s alternative special ed plan
Austin Independent School District has released the plan that the Texas Education Agency proposed to improve special education services in the district. Interim Superintendent Matias Segura announced Wednesday that the TEA had presented the district an alternative to a special education conservatorship but shared few specifics during a news conference. TEA officials recommended a conservatorship after an investigation […]