Hello Friends,
It's a new era! If you tune into the Board meeting this week you'll notice some new faces. This week the board is welcoming Trustee Fernando Lucas de Urioste as the newest at-large member. He completes our nine-member board. Thank you to Trustee Lugo for her service and dedication to Austin ISD!
Don't forget...Monday is a Staff/Student Holiday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Now, let's get started…,
Congratulations to Nick Lebo from Austin High School for being named the ACTE National Teacher of the Year!
This prestigious award from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) recognizes those who set the highest standards in Career and Technical Education (CTE). Nick's unwavering dedication and passion inspire not only his students but also the entire community.
On Tuesday, Austin ISD celebrated the ribbon cutting of a new food pantry at Galindo Elementary School, thanks to a partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB).
Why it matters: One in five kids in Travis County don’t know where their next meal is coming from, according to CTFB.
The pantry will provide Austin ISD families and students with an easy way to access nutritious food, easing what can be one of their biggest worries.
What they are saying: “We not only aim to alleviate that stress on a family, but we also seek to help improve attendance, performance and behavior in the classroom by providing the necessary nutrition needed to thrive,” said Sari M. Vatske, CTFB President and CEO.
The partnership: The Central Texas Food Bank is making that possible under its program Feeding Future School Pantry which was initiated in January 2024.
Participating schools are predominantly Title I elementary schools, with a high percentage of students enrolled in free or reduced-price meal programs.
Since the first pantry opened, the program has distributed over 75, 000 meals through eight school pantries, supporting students and their families where they are.
What’s next: Interested families can start the process by creating an account with The Central Texas Food Bank.
We celebrated the opening of the FIRST-EVER audiology booth at Galindo, a key site for the Austin Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD).
This booth will play a vital role in identifying, supporting, and tracking audiological needs for our students, ages birth to 22.
This addition allows us to provide audiological management without any cost to families—ensuring every student’s hearing needs are met!
Introducing the Board Bulletin! For those of you who may not consider Board of Trustees meetings appointment viewing, we’re here to break down the actions of the board and keep you up-to-date on the district’s progress toward key initiatives.
This week the board met for their monthly Information Session, which included three scorecard updates. But more on that in a bit…
Before we get into it, here's some quick explainers on what we’re talking about:
The Board of Trustees typically meet twice a month. The first meeting is a Board Information Session where administrators give updates on various topics, including academic progress and the budget. This is also an opportunity to get more information ahead of any votes.
The second meeting is the Board Regular Voting Meeting where trustees take action on items, including real estate, any contracts or staffing changes.
The scorecard is like the superintendent's report card — it's how the board will hold the administration accountable for improving student outcomes. The board sets goals of where we want to be in five years and the administration develops a plan for how we’ll get there and the things we’ll monitor and report on along the way to show we’re on track.
Now let’s get into the details. This week, the administration reviewed three Scorecard items:
The first presentation covered our College, Career and Military Readiness goal:
For the 2024–25 school year, 39% of 11–12 grade students entered the year with one or more high school credits that would be eligible for college credit. Overall, 64% of Austin ISD high school students are enrolled in a college-credit eligible course.
Enrollment in college-credit courses is trending upward for all student groups, showing the positive impact of expanding access to advanced coursework.
The data showed three campus outliers — Crockett, Navarro and Northeast Early College High Schools — with historically underserved groups enrolled in college credit courses and the campus supports to help students thrive in them.
The next Scorecard measure focused on Special Education Evaluations:
Special Education evaluations are key to identifying students who are suspected of having a disability and helping them receive the educational supports and services they need. Once eligible for special education services, students receive a reevaluation every three years.
As of December 20, 2024, the District has maintained compliance with zero past due initial evaluations since August. There are, however, 51 past due reevaluations.
At this time, Austin ISD is on track to meet the constraint progress measure 1.2 by December 2025.
The last Scorecard item focused on advanced courses and the gifted and talented program:
For this Scorecard item, we’re looking at the percentage of students who complete advanced course work. Administrators are also working to increase representation of African-American students identified as Gifted and Talented.
The vision is to close opportunity gaps and better prepare students for postsecondary success.
Baseline data for advanced coursework varies across student groups and campuses, so administrators will be developing a methodology to track progress as well as which campuses may need more support to reach the goal.
While the Gifted and Talented screening process will continue through the spring semester, the number of African-American students in the screening process increased by 28% year over year.
Finally, Trustees voted on a new slate of board officers. District 5 Trustee Lynn Boswell will serve as President, District 4 Trustee Kathryn Whitley Chu to serve as Vice President and District 6 Trustee Andrew Gonzales to serve as Secretary.
What’s next: Stay tuned for our ongoing coverage after each board meeting. The next Regular Voting Meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 30.
Check out our guidelines for directing public comments to the board.
The 2025-26 priority enrollment closes Feb. 4.
Student/Staff Holiday - MLK Day - Jan. 20
Special Education Family Empower Hour: Summer Camps- Jan. 22
Special Education Family Empower Hour: Summer Camps- Jan. 22
Special Education Family Advisory Committee- Jan. 27
School Board Recognition Month- Jan. 1 to Jan. 31
For more events, please visit the Calendar of Events website.
Become a male role model! Volunteer to MENtor 2nd- grade students. Sign-up here.
This weekend many MLK Celebrations will take place. From a March to a Food Drive in Pease Park. If you’re interested in any of these events, the Statesman wrote up an article on MLK Day Celebration Events.
Have a great week everyone!
-JJ
For questions or comments you may email me at jorge.maldonado@austinisd.org
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