Hello Families,
Spring Break is officially here! Students are off today, March 14, for a student holiday/PLED Day. Spring Break is officially March 17-21st. We’ll see everyone when school is back March 24.
Kudos to LBJ Early College High School Basketball team for making it all the way to the State Semi-Finals! Congratulations for a great season!
Now, let's get started!
It’s time again for another installment of the Board Bulletin. Since it’s right before Spring Break, we know everyone may be a little rusty.
For a quick refresher, the Board Bulletin recaps our Board of Trustees meetings and gives quick, helpful information on the progress of our Scorecard.
This week we had our Board Information Session where leaders discussed progress on literacy work and caregiver engagement. Let’s get into it!
First up, literacy…One of the district’s goals is improving student literacy, specifically decreasing the amount of students who need special interventions or support.
We’re seeing an overall decrease in the percentage of second-grade students recommended for intervention on the MAP reading assessments, which students take at the beginning, middle and end of year.
Moreover, we saw these decreases in nearly all student groups year-over-year, showing that our efforts to strengthen classroom instruction is working.
These gains are important as strong reading skills are essential for ongoing academic success beyond early grade levels.
Dig deeper...with the full story on our website.
With many Austin ISD students living in food-insecure households, the availability of healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed.
Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for spring break:
United Way for Greater Austin - ConnectATX (www.connectatx.org)
Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.
Austin ISD leaders have been tracking the measles outbreak in west Texas and taking measures to prevent any spread in our community.
Why it matters: We learned from the pandemic how quickly infectious diseases can spread in a close-knit community and want to take every measure we can to keep our community healthy and safe.
What you need to know: Your principal will send out a letter with vaccination rates by grade level at your campus. Our goal in sharing this information is for families to understand the risk level in their community and take measures to get fully vaccinated to protect against illness, including measles.
The bottom line: While at this time we don’t have measles in our schools, we want to be sure we’re keeping our students and staff safe.
The only case of measles in Austin related to an infant who traveled overseas.
What’s next: As we go into spring break, please keep healthy habits in mind, including washing hands and covering coughs to prevent any spread of sickness when we come back March 24.
Beginning next school year (2025–26), Austin ISD will transition to a hub model for transportation to and from the following magnet/choice programs:
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Kealing Magnet School
LASA
Lively Magnet School
The details: This means that buses will no longer make individual neighborhood stops but will instead pick up students at their nearest Austin ISD middle or high school.
Families may use the Transportation Hub Stops Locator to find their nearest secondary school bus hub.
Why it matters: Austin ISD is committed to providing accessible transportation to all families while addressing financial challenges.
What to expect: The district anticipates students will spend less time on the bus since the buses will run directly between the hubs and the school with no additional neighborhood stops.
For more information, visit our Transportation Hub FAQs.
Save the date for our 2025 Teacher Career Fair, March 29, 2025 at the Austin Southpark Hotel! Austin ISD is the heart of Austin, and we want you to join our team and inspire young minds, foster growth, and make a positive impact on all students!
Women's History Month- March 1 to 31
Spring Break–Staff/Student Holiday- March 17 to 21
Athletic Trainers Appreciation Week- March 24 to 28
Austin ISD Pride Week- March 24 to 28
Skilled Trades Appreciation Week- March 24 to 28
Head Start Policy Council Meeting - March 25
School Safety & Security Committee Meeting - March 25
Tools for Success / Herramientas para el éxito - March 26
Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee Meeting - March 26
Tools for Success / Herramientas para el éxito - March 27
Board Regular Voting Meeting - March 27
For a list of events, please visit the Calendar of Events website.
You Count and your Attendance Matters! A regular attendance routine is important for your child’s well-being, learning and long-term success. Below are guidance and tips to keep your child healthy and avoid unnecessary absences from school, and managing absences when they happen.
At SXSW, Austin ISD superintendent lays out challenges, opportunities Austin schools are facing - Austin Statesman
'This is huge', Dak Prescott speaks on Cowboys' latest investment in future - Cowboys Wire
Shout out to Bowie High School’s The Dispatch and McCallum High School’s The Shield. Congratulations for taking home numerous journalism awards by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association! Way to go!
I hope everyone enjoys their time off next week. I’ll be enjoying the break with friends and family in Northern California. I’m looking forward to cooler weather.
Have a great Spring Break!
-JJ
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 nayeli.santoyoflores@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.