We finally felt some relief from the weather this week.
Reminder: Today there is a board information meeting starting at 6 p.m. Check out the agenda items and tune in on our Austin ISD Facebook page.
Also…Sept. 15 kicks off our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, which means it’s time for your children to “Join the Fiesta” with Austin ISD!
The 2024 Hispanic Heritage Talent Show call for entries is open until September 30.
You children can submit videos of dancing, music or singing, as well as photos of drawings or paintings that celebrate Hispanic culture.
These can be in English or Spanish. More than $4,000 in prizes. Check some previous videos.
The award ceremony will take place Saturday, October 12.
Now, let’s get started…
1 Big Thing: Audit shows Austin ISD invests more in students than peer districts
A new audit of Austin ISD finances shows the district spends more per student than the statewide average and our peer districts in Texas.
Instructional resources, transportation, counseling and social work are a few areas where Austin ISD goes above the averages.
Why it matters: Austin ISD’s main job is to prepare every student with the knowledge and skills to thrive in college, career, and life. To do that, we’ve gone above the minimums required by state law in many areas and could possibly consider cuts to the budget for those services in the absence of new investments in the classroom:
School librarians
School nurses
Counselors
Support staff
Fine Arts and Career and Technical programs
By the numbers: The district spends $13,209 per student—more than $1,500 above the average spend of peer districts in Texas and $1,000 more than the statewide average.
Driving the news: The efficiency audit, created by Moak Casey, was presented to the Ad-Hoc Joint Community Budget Committee Sept. 10. The audit is a requirement for putting Prop A on the ballot.
Zoom Out: The district is exploring cost-saving measures as it works to reduce its budget deficit over the next three years.
Prop A will be on the ballot on Nov. 5, with early voting starting Oct. 21.
If approved, the proposition will provide an additional $41 million in funds for our schools, including $17.8 million for a teacher and staff compensation package to retain our educators.
Austin Ed Fund awards $450K in ‘Inspire the Future’ grants to Austin ISD teachers
Congratulations to the 66 recipients of the 2024 Inspire the Future Grants by the Austin Ed Fund!
Why it matters: These grants empower educators to bring innovative ideas to life, enhancing classroom literacy, improving educator experiences, and creating pathways for college and career opportunities.
Background: Since 2015, the Inspire the Future program has invested over $2.5 million into 500 teacher-driven projects.
Thanks to our community partners, these diverse projects are supported.
Free gun locks now available through Austin ISD Police
Austin ISD families and community members can now get free cable-style gun locks to ensure safe gun storage at home through a partnership with Project ChildSafe.
Why it matters: Keeping firearms stored safely at home or in vehicles is an essential aspect of gun safety. Practicing safe storage habits can go a long way in preventing tragedies and keeping firearms out of the wrong hands.
How it works: As a Project ChildSafe location, the Austin ISD Police Department received 500 gun locks to distribute in the community for FREE!
Save the confirmation response as proof of your request.
Bring your confirmation response to Austin ISD Central Office, located at 4000 S. Interstate 35, Austin, Texas, 78704 between 8 a.m.-noon for pick up. If you're unable to come in person, we will reach out to you for other options to receive the lock.
The big picture: To further our efforts to protect students from firearms, and as a courtesy to our families, Austin ISD is informing families of the legal obligations to protect minors from negligent gun storage.
Keeping firearms stored safely at home or in vehicles is an essential aspect of gun safety. Practicing safe storage habits can go a long way in preventing tragedies and keeping firearms out of the wrong hands.
By the numbers: Guns are now the #1 cause of death for children in the United States.
76% of school shooters get their guns from their homes or from the homes of their relatives.
5.4 million children live in homes with unsecured guns.
More than a third of all unintentional shootings of children take place in the homes of their friends, neighbors, or relatives.
The bottom line: Storing firearms in a safe or a locked cabinet can prevent unauthorized access, theft, and accidents. Always keep the keys or combinations to your gun safes or locked containers in a secure and separate location to prevent unauthorized access. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.
Please review the Texas statute on gun storage laws summarized below:
Texas State Law 46.13 Making a Firearm Accessible to a Child
In the state of Texas, a “child” is defined as a person under the age of 17. The statute indicates that a person commits an offense if a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm and the person with criminal negligence:
failed to secure the firearm; or
left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access.
The offense is a Class C Misdemeanor, except that it is a Class A Misdemeanor if the child discharges the firearm and causes death or serious bodily injury to themselves or another person.
This document has been translated using an AI-powered machine translation tool through Thrillshare. As a result, it may contain inaccuracies, errors, or inconsistencies that do not reflect the original content accurately. Austin ISD strives for high-quality translations and has a dedicated translation team, but sometimes we might have to use AI tools for critical or time-sensitive communications.
