Next week is Fall Break! If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, be safe and enjoy the time off with your friends and family.
Austin ISD is gearing up forInclusive Schools Week and Special Education Staff Appreciation Week, Dec. 2-6! This year's Inclusive School Week theme is“Every Voice Matters” and emphasizes the importance of recognizing each individual's unique perspective in school communities.
Visit the store now to purchase limited edition Austin ISD-branded items!
To avoid shipping costs, we are excited to announce that all orders can be picked up at Austin ISD Central Office Dec. 11!
Now, let's get started…
1 big thing: District releases draft budget reduction plan that safeguards, librarians, counselors, nurses, planning periods
Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura presented a three-year proposal to the board of trustees Nov. 22, outlining options to balance the budget. Now it’s the community’s turn to weigh in.
Why it matters: District leaders must find $92 million to eliminate the budget deficit while keeping cuts farthest from the classroom and preserving the student experience.
Of Note: Options previously discussed such as librarians, counselors, nurses and planning periods are off the table — at least for the upcoming school year.
We still have two legislative sessions ahead of us, where we could see an infusion of funds that could keep us from considering those more painful cuts down the road.
What they’re saying: “That saying, ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ one of the things I see, around bus routes, around data management, around portables, is an opportunity to be better, and to be better in a way that our community is going to be really happy with, which is really weird to say at a moment when there’s going to be cuts,” said Vice President and District 3 Trustee Kevin Foster.
How we got here: School funding hasn’t increased in five years and remains $4,000 behind the national average for per-student funding. District leaders, along with the Community Budget Committee, are thinking creatively to find ways to cut spending or bring in revenue.
Below, we’ll dive into some ideas the district is weighing as options.
All options have gone through an equity evaluation to consider the impact on historically underserved students.
Potential reductions include vacancy savings and contract evaluations, as well as the following strategies:
Magnet and student-share busing: Currently students can be bused across the district to get certain programming. However, there are some instances when fewer than three students are riding these buses. The district could transition to fewer routes by creating hubs where students can meet and be transported to programs.
Master scheduling: This consideration is coming out of the Gibson audit, which reviewed our spending and efficiencies districtwide. The audit found that 1,600 out of our 5,500 teachers in core instruction have fewer than 15 students. While that may be needed for equitable outcomes in some instances, as a district, master scheduling could be streamlined to reduce costs while protecting student outcomes.
Shift from Blend to Google Classroom: Google Classroom is included in the cost of the Google Suite, so this could be a potential savings opportunity. However, it would require staff who rely on Blend to rebuild their curriculum in Google Classroom.
Potential revenue includes:
Central Office facility rental: By creating a hybrid work policy for Central Office employees, portions of the Central Office and other facilities could be freed up to bring in revenue from rental fees.
Property monetization: District leaders could move to either sell or lease current properties not being used by the district for teaching and learning. This includes Rosedale, which was recently identified as a candidate for sale or lease after a lengthy repurposing process. Brooke and Metz are other facilities that could be considered for monetization in the future.
Selling naming rights: Districtwide facilities, including House Park and Burger Stadium could feature a branded name. Think Q2 Stadium or the HEB Center.
What’s next: Review the details in the board presentation and mark your calendars for the following dates to give feedback:
Both meetings will be available in English and Spanish.
‘All for Lunch’ non-profit clears current lunch debt
In an effort to ensure students have access to a healthy meal, All for Lunch, has paid off the $16,032 lunch debt balance districtwide.
Why it matters: Families will have one less thing to worry about heading into the holiday season while students still enjoy healthy, nourishing meals at school.
African American Heritage Award nominations are open!
Now’s the time to nominate an exceptional individual for their work in supporting public education. If you know a person, business or organization that should be recognized, be sure to nominate them before the Jan. 10th deadline.
Here is a quick shoutout to two of our amazing schools — Pillow and Padron elementary schools. Thank you to Principal Dinorah De La Torre-Salazar and Principal Graciela Esquivel, and their staff, for hosting the Austin Chronicle’s visit and showcasing how the Literacy First program is impacting the lives of our students. Your work is making a difference!
Have a great Fall Break everyone!
-JJ
For questions or comments you may email me at jorge.maldonado@austinisd.org
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