City Council approved an alcohol waiver for a planned Tiny Boxwoods restaurant on 35th Street at its meeting Thursday but not without giving the subject serious scrutiny and planning a discussion on Council’s larger policy in committee. Council approved the waiver 10-1, with Council Member Ora Houston opposing. The restaurant, which will serve only beer and wine, […]
AISD
Austin’s largest school district, AISD is the Austin Independent School District.
Posted inAISD
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, […]
Posted inAISD
AISD remains hopeful about school finance bill
Austin Independent School District trustees received good news Monday: A state bill restructuring school finance, House Bill 1759, still has wind in its sails. In the hour-plus monthly meeting with staff, AISD Intergovernmental Relations Committee members heard updates on several key state legislative items that might affect the district if passed. Staff has tracked more than […]
Posted inAISD, Budget, Education, Texas State Legislature
AISD, others ask state for $3 billion in new funding
Three members from the Austin Independent School District board stood with more than 20 other school districts at the State Capitol on Wednesday to ask legislators for $3 billion in additional statewide school funding. “For AISD, this figure is vital,” said District 2 Board Member Jayme Mathias. “AISD in the past month has slipped to […]
Posted inAISD, Education, Texas State Legislature
Why Texas isn’t paying for what it wants from Austin’s classrooms
Travis County and the City of Austin take part in a regular fiscal dance with the State of Texas over who pays the costs of government. Over the next three days, KUT News and the Austin Monitor will look at key examples of that interaction in our series, “The Buck Starts Here.” Today, we take […]
Posted inAISD
AISD board reacts to threat from charter schools
Austin Independent School District board members have urgently requested a policy change that would curtail area charter school districts’ access to student information. At the board’s dialogue meeting last Monday, members learned that nearby charter schools have been filing Public Information Act requests with AISD to get student information. The schools then sent students informational […]
Posted inAISD
AISD board discusses student transfer changes
Austin Independent School District board members approached student transfer policies last Monday with a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer, with the goal of trying to ease high enrollment in certain schools. After much discussion, they ended the meeting with an acknowledgment that they had a lot more work to do. Board members took the lead […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Appointment drama continues
Casar challenges District 6 appointment … Last Friday, Council Member Greg Casar used the City Council Message Board to announce that he will be asking Council to rescind the District 6 nomination to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Rebecca Forest. Casar wrote, “During a speech at a political rally, the recent nominee from District 6 […]
Posted inAISD, Austin, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: AISD Trustee Paul Saldana
AISD Trustee Paul Saldana joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin and reporter Courtney Griffin to talk system equity, resources, and more. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Audio is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200224709″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inAISD
AISD cautiously expands dual language program
The Austin Independent School District board of trustees decided Monday to extend its dual English and Spanish language program to two additional middle schools, but not before criticizing the administration’s lack of evidence supporting the expansion and a faulty application process. The board voted 6-3 at its regular meeting to have Lamar and Paredes join […]
Posted inAISD
AISD to move forward with equity assessment
The Austin Independent School District Board decided Monday to move forward with a self-assessment on educational equity in the district, although what that assessment will look like is still in the works. The board voted 7-1, with District 7 board member Robert Schneider opposing. “I am in a very, very different place,” said Schneider. “As […]
Posted inAISD
AISD committee tweaks equity presentation
The Austin Independent School District’s ad hoc Historically Underutilized Business Committee prepared its presentation for board members on equity and equality issues Monday, leaning toward providing the public a more recent history of the relationship between the Texas Civil Rights Project and AISD. “Some of the conversation with the trustees and with the community has […]