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Greetings Austin ISD Families!

Austin ISD continues to host “budget talks” to keep our community informed throughout the budgeting process. The next budget talk will be held virtually on Saturday, March 28, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. on Zoom: bit.ly/46h4k65 

Let’s get started!

 

Congratulations to Austin ISD’s 2026 Salute Awards Finalists!

 
photo with text Salute

Austin ISD is proud to announce the finalists for the 2026 Salute Awards, our annual celebration of exceptional staff. 

Staff, students and families were invited to submit open nominations across ten categories from November through January. 

  • Austin ISD received over 1,500 submissions across all 10 categories! Some of these categories include: Teaching Assistant of the Year, Library Staff of the Year, Principal of the Year and more. 
  • You can see the full list of finalists on our Salute page. 

The winners of each category will be announced at the annual Salute celebration on May 6. Congratulations finalists!

 

Austin ISD Pride Week, March 23-27

photo with text beYOUtiful

Austin ISD Pride Week 2026 will take place from March 23–27, highlighting the district's commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment where all students can show up as their full selves. 

This year's celebration features daily themes such as "All are welcome!" and "Differences are beYOUtiful!", with activities like "Wacky Socks Day" and "Mix It Up Lunch" designed to be voluntary and held outside of instructional time. 

For more information and resources, please visit www.austinisd.org/pride.

 

2026-27 School Year Enrollment Updates

 
 

We’re working hard to welcome all our new and returning families for the 2026-27 school year! To help make the enrollment process as smooth as possible, here are some important updates and dates to keep on your radar:

  • Round 1 results will be released on March 13, with a deadline to accept offers by March 27. 
  • General K-12 enrollment is open for all zoned students, returning transfers and new transfer applicants. General transfer applicants should submit an application by the Round 2 deadline on April 10. 
  • For our littlest learners, Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 enrollment opens April 1, while Kindergarten registration is open now. 
    • Visit the Pre-K events page for information about virtual enrollment Info Sessions and Pre-K Fairs.
    • Early Learning Day is on April 2, where elementary campuses will host on-site events.

If you have a student/students in the district and have started the enrollment process, don't forget to complete your annual forms to help our campuses finalize their planning for the upcoming year.

 

Board Updates: Additional Days School Year, an update on school improvement plans

 

Additional Days School Year 

Austin ISD is proposing an Additional Days School Year (ADSY) pilot for the 2026–27 school year at Mendez Middle School and eight "Restart" campuses (Linder, Pecan Springs, Sanchez, Wooldridge, Burnet, Dobie, Paredes, and Webb). This state-funded model aims to combat summer learning loss by adding 19 optional summer days and 7 optional Saturday sessions of targeted instruction at no cost to families. While these pilot campuses will share the same start and end dates as the rest of the district, they will feature unique schedules—including half-days during some standard student holidays—to maximize learning time. Participation is prioritized based on academic need and staffing capacity, with the Board of Trustees set to vote on this proposal at the March 26 board meeting.

For more information visit the Austin ISD website. 

1882 Partnership Proposal

Austin ISD is proposing an 1882 agreement with the Texas Council for International Studies (TCIS) for the Webb, Burnet and Dobie communities. Although the schools have shown improvement under the current restart plan, this transition allows for additional time and resources to support efforts to accelerate the improvement and academic outcomes for our students.

The partnership is slated to begin in the 2026–27 school year, pending approval from the Board of Trustees. TCIS is committed to building upon what is working at these schools and we are confident this partnership will support efforts to rapidly increase student achievement.

Trustees are scheduled to vote on the proposal at the March 26, 2026 Board Voting Meeting.

For more information visit the Austin ISD website. 

 
Do you qualify for Free Pre-K? Learn more: austinisd.org/prek/events Applications Open April 1. Austin ISD is the place for little learners Big Futures Early Learning Day April 2. I'm new around here Campus Tour!

Mark your calendar

 

Women’s History Month - March 1 - 31

Spring Break - March 16-20

Student & Staff Holiday / Eid al-Fitr - March 20

Athletic Trainers Appreciation Week - March 23-27

Austin ISD Pride Week - March 23-27

Enrollment Clinic - March 23 3:30-5:30pm

Sunset Valley Elementary Repurposing Community Conversation - March 23

Ad Hoc Joint Community Budget Committee Meeting - March 23

Mendez Community Meeting - Meet the Principal - March 24

Ridgetop Elementary Repurposing Community Conversation - March 24

Tools for Success - March 25 6pm

Board Regular Voting Meeting - March 26

ENCORE Student and Family Conference - March 28

Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Parade - March 28

Budget Talks Community Conversation - March 28

Pre-K3, Pre-K4, & Kindergarten Virtual Enrollment Sessions - March 30 10:30 a.m.

Enrollment Clinic - March 30

Becker Elementary Repurposing Community Conversation - March 30 5:30-7pm

Pre-K3, Pre-K4, & Kindergarten Virtual Enrollment Info Sessions - March 30 5:30pm

Student / Staff Holiday / César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Day - March 31

 

Austin ISD in the news

 
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Austin ISD proposes nonprofit partner to revamp Burnet, Dobie and Webb middle schools - Community Impact

Austin ISD seeks new uses for 5 campuses that will close over the summer - Austin Statesman 

Austin ISD campuses set to close could be leased out to help deficit - KVUE 

 
Austin Independent School District Department of Communications and Community Engagement
 

Spring break is here! Remember, the district will be closed March 16-20. Students return to class on Monday, March 23.

We wish everyone a safe and relaxing break!

JJ

 
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Have a story idea?

Got a great story about an Austin ISD student, staff, parent, or community member? Share it with us! It could be featured on our website, in our newsletters, on social media, or even on the news!

For questions or comments please email me at jorge.maldonado@austinisd.org

For languages other than English and Spanish, we use an AI-powered translation tool. As a result, there may be some contextual inaccuracies or other errors. We apologize for this. Please email translation@austinisd.org if you are in need of clarification. To change your preferred correspondence language, contact your school's front office. 

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