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 […]
AISD Board of Trustees
This is the governing board of the Austin Independent School District. The board is comprised of two at-large members and seven district representatives.
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 AISD board members unanimously approved $14 million to purchase 20,000 new mobile devices that will replace outdated equipment.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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Penalty cards and petitions
Eckhardt deals a new hand from a new deck… Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt introduced last week a new method for dealing with citizens whose comments during public communications might stray outside of the Travis County Commissioner Court’s wheelhouse. Perhaps with the stunning arrests of FIFA’s top executives fresh in her mind during Tuesday’s regular voting […]
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Reporter’s Notebook: Concerns about concerns about concerns
Queen of Zoning exits City Hall stage… Betty Baker, the chief author of Austin’s historic preservation program as well as the first and only chair of the city’s 14-year-old Zoning and Platting Commission, said goodbye to her friends at the city on Thursday as she stepped down from ZAP. Baker, 82, began her city service […]
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AISD educators ask for $24 million more
Employees from every area of the Austin Independent School District asked for higher wages Monday night. The most popular request came with a $24.5 million price tag. As in past meetings, Education Austin, an AISD teachers union, continued to advocate for an across-the-board 5 percent wage increase for all district employees. According to Nicole Conley, AISD’s chief financial officer, […]
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AISD lunches lead to plea for information
A consent-agenda item to increase school lunch prices held larger implications Monday as the Austin Independent School District strained against projected budget shortfalls in the upcoming year. At their regular meeting, members of the AISD board of trustees agreed to postpone an increase in all student meal prices until they could examine all budget-related items […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: gates, pies and tracheotomies
Council ponders homestead exemption, pie… City Council members may have been craving pie Wednesday afternoon, having tossed the metaphor around while discussing ways to fairly distribute the costs and benefits of a proposed homestead tax exemption on residents. Council Member Leslie Pool took the concept to levels of abstraction that may have had members of […]
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Reporter’s Notebook: Au revoir, RDCC
That’s one set of appointments no one has to worry about … Last Thursday, City Council dissolved the Residential Design and Compatibility Commission. The RDCC initiated the process, passing a resolution to dissolve itself in February due to the decreased number of cases coming before the commission. “They felt the need not to exist,” explained […]
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New AISD group to tackle Austin High traffic
This summer, a new interlocal group will propose a solution to address the traffic problems that are expected to slam Austin High School in coming years. At the Austin Independent School District’s Board Dialogue meeting, trustees directed administration to create a working group to address the school’s looming traffic issues. The working group will consist […]