Don't miss a spooktacular time this weekend at the Austin ISD Police Department's 5th annual Trunk or Treat event at the Nelson Athletic Complex! This is a great opportunity for families to enjoy safe trick-or-treating and meet local police officers.
🎶🎺 The 51st AnnualAustin ISD Marching Band Jamboree was a hit! All 13 of our high school marching bands showcased their incredible talents with special guest performances from the Texas State University Bobcat Marching Band! 🥁✨ Check this specialvideo.
Now, let's get started…
Exploring cost reduction strategies within Technology and Talent Strategy
The Joint Community Budget Committee delved deep into the budgets of the Technology and Talent Strategy departments at its Oct. 8 and 15 meetings. The committee continues its work to explore potential cost reductions and revenue opportunities.
Here are the highlights from each department:
Technology
The Technology department is currently working through efficiencies, such as moving to Google, which will save $500,000.
The department has reduced its budget within the past year by $1.4 million by reducing staff and non-staffing expenses. For the current fiscal year, the department will reduce its budget by another $3.4 million through staff vacancies and additional non-staffing cuts.
Revenue and other funding sources could come from vendor partners in grant opportunities. Monetizing real estate with the implementation and construction of cellular monopoles could bring rental revenue from cell towers. The department is currently looking at potential partnerships.
Talent Strategy
Reducing turnover and onboarding expenses is one way of cutting costs potential within Talent Strategy. The current teacher retention rate is 80.4% (a 5.3% increase from 2022-23 school year). Retention could lead to additional savings in the long run.
The department is also looking at further consolidations of divisions and downgrading specific professional positions through attrition.
The latest: The committee was scheduled to meet one last time on Oct. 22; however, they decided to extend the meetings through Nov. 12 after the results of the Prop A ballot initiative are known.
What's Next: The administration plans to present its budget reduction plan, which will include ideas explored with the committee, to the Board of Trustees at the Nov. 21 Board Voting Meeting.
What is Austin ISD Prop A?
Prop A is a ballot initiative asking voters to approve funding for teacher salaries and additional funding for our local schools.
For more information visit the Prop A ballot initiative website.
Austin ISD Police celebrates new officers, new ranks
Three officers were sworn in and seven were promoted to either Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Assistant Chief on Oct. 14 in a ceremony at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center.
Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed and Trustee Kevin Foster congratulated the officers as their families also joined in on the celebration.
Congratulations to all those who were promoted and thank you for all you do to keep us safe!
Background: The Austin ISD Police Department expanding its force in compliance with HB 3, including adding 70 motorcycle officers to patrol elementary schools. All officers complete robust training on working with children and de-escalation tactics before joining the district.
Recognize outstanding staff members with RAVES
This October, we’re re-launching RAVE (Recognizing All Valuable Employees) to spotlight Austin ISD staff who go above and beyond.
Why it matters: Our staff are the foundation of our success in Austin ISD. From teachers to support staff, everyone contributes to making our schools thrive. When we celebrate our employees, we build a stronger, more positive district culture.
The Details: The RAVE program is a chance for us to come together as a community to show appreciation for the hard work happening every day. Here’s how you can participate:
Nominate an employee: Share your appreciation for someone who makes a difference. Visit the RAVE website to submit your nomination.
Share your story: Tag @weareaisd on social media to highlight amazing Austin ISD employees.
What’s next: Keep an eye on our social channels as we recognize RAVE honorees year-round.
We encourage everyone to take part in this initiative to show appreciation for our staff’s hard work and dedication.
The RAVE Program is more than just recognition—it’s about creating a culture of gratitude and support in Austin ISD!
2025-26 Enrollment opens November 6 through February 4th
I had a blast last weekend at the first annual Austin ISD Special Education Transition Fair! Many families from our community attended and visited with our Special Education Department and the dozens of vendors on hand. There was even a Kona Ice Truck!
This weekend I’m thinking of doing something in theme for Halloween. There’s a few events happening this weekend.
On Saturday Brentwood Elementary School is hosting the Brentwood Halloween Carnival. There will be games and yummy treats.
On Sunday, of course there’s our own Trunk-or-Treat, but if you have a fur baby, like I do, there’s also the 1st annual Barktoberfest, a costume contest for dogs!
Hope y’all have a great rest of your week and weekend!
-JJ
For questions or comments you may 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.
