Hello Friends,

Happy April! While we’re working through a busy month there is still a lot to celebrate in the district. 

Next week we’re gearing up for the Annual Latino Academic Achievement Awards, sponsored by the Austin Ed Fund! The event takes place annually to recognize Latino students in grades 7–12 who excel in their academic work. 

Earth Week 2026 is from April 20–May1! Take a look at this year’s website for fun ways to engage and take action from school and from home. 

And, before we get started, now more than ever we need your help in shaping the future of our district. We're facing deeper budget cuts due to a growing budget deficit. Please take the survey to submit your feedback. Please note there are no proposals or recommendations yet. District leaders will review survey feedback to develop recommendations by May 1. ICYMI: Read Superintendent Segura’s budget update on the Austin ISD website.

Austin ISD leaders are now looking at more significant budget reductions after a reduction in property tax values, enrollment decline, increased costs and delayed real estate deals led to a $30 million increase in the current year budget deficit.

The district is projected to close out the current budget year with a $49 million deficit and head into the 2026-27 budget year with a $181 million deficit. 

Decisions made in the coming weeks will affect campuses, programs and staff across the district. Community voice will be essential before the budget is finalized in June 2026.

How we got here
The 2025–26 budget was passed in June 2025 with a $19.7 million deficit. The projection included $45 million in expected real estate revenue and assumed a conservative estimate for property tax assessments. In reality, one of the real estate deals is taking more time to close and will not be captured in this fiscal year. Additionally, Austin property values declined even more than expected, yielding the district less money than anticipated. 

School closures and consolidations
The Board of Trustees voted in November to close 10 campuses and consolidate those students into other Austin ISD schools for the 2026–27 school year. These closures are estimated to save approximately $21 million for next year’s budget. 

$17 million of those savings will be reinvested into school improvement work as each campus with a state-required intervention plan includes significant investment to fund staff stipends, instructional materials and additional support for students to increase their academic achievement. 

Previous reductions
A number of strategies have been used over the past few years to save money in ongoing efforts to tighten belts. Ahead of the 2025–26 school year, Central Office underwent a significant restructuring to reduce administrative costs relative to the student population.

Knowing staffing is the largest expenditure in the budget, the district also implemented an external hiring freeze to ensure new employees were not being onboarded. This also served as an opportunity for any staff displaced by school consolidations or program moves to receive priority in choosing positions.

Additional spending protocols have also increased spending oversight to limit non-essential purchases. These controls include adjusting spending limits on district credit cards and pre-approval on discretionary spending to ensure alignment with district priorities. 

What’s on the table
Since significant cuts at the Central Office have already impacted services to campuses, deeper cuts must be considered to balance the budget, including any items that are not legally required to be funded. The following potential cuts will be discussed with the board of trustees as leaders work to create a preliminary budget this month: 

Revenue streams are also being reviewed to ensure the district is finding ways to think creatively about the budget. Possible strategies include:

These conversations are difficult and deeply personal for our community, yet they remain vital as the district works to resolve this financial crisis.

How to get involved: Austin ISD has scheduled several opportunities for families, staff, and community members to learn more and share input:

What's next:

Austin ISD prepares students for success beyond the classroom including tackling real world challenges and leading the country to the moon! 🌔

LBJ High School’s Science, Math and Computer Academy graduate Emily Nelson spread her Austin ISD roots to NASA where she is the chief flight director for the Artemis Ⅱ mission. 🚀

We’re proud to see the impactful work she is accomplishing and admire the possibilities Austin ISD students have for futures in STEM and beyond.

Parent support specialists, volunteers, trustees, campus administrators and district officials came together to celebrate the accomplishments of 153 graduates from 22 campuses in Austin ISD’s 2026 English for Me program.

How it works: The English for Me program gives parents the opportunity to learn English through free classes at their children’s schools from October to April.

Classes are led by parent support staff and volunteers. Attendees learn everything from basic grammar to vocabulary and confidence in the English language in the following six pillars of life: housing, health, finance, work, education and citizenship.

Once the classes are completed in April, participants dress up in their caps and gowns and walk the stage to receive certificates of completion with a formal graduation ceremony.

The background: Previously known as the MATT Foundation’s Maestro en Casa, the program was relaunched in 2025 to include districtwide activities such as master classes, karaoke contests and showcases aimed at building community and helping participants grow more confident in their language skills.

The impact: This year, the program congratulated 153 graduates, celebrating a grand total of 1,467 graduates over the past 11 years.

Participants came into the program with varying first languages from Spanish, Chuj and French to Lingala, Portuguese and Q’anjo’bal.

The district received a recognition from Humberto Hernández Haddad, the Consulate General of Mexico in Austin, who was present at the ceremony to present graduates with their completion certificates.

“It was truly inspiring to witness the achievement of the 153 graduates, including 60 people from Mexico, who completed this important English as Second Language program across 22 schools in Austin ISD,” Hernández Haddad said. “This accomplishment reflects not only their dedication and perseverance, but also the strong commitment of Austin ISD to fostering inclusive and empowering educational opportunities.”

What’s next: Fall 2026 registration will begin in the summer. However, community members interested in joining the upcoming program session can email adultedu@austinisd.org to join the Fall 2026 waitlist.

This April, in celebration of Library Appreciation Month and Librarian Appreciation Week, the district is highlighting the "Love Your Library" campaign, an annual fundraising effort designed to bolster campus resources, created by Austin ISD librarians. 

Why this matters: This collaborative effort, organized in partnership with the Austin Ed Fund, ensures that the money raised goes directly back into schools through a structured grant process overseen by a ten-member committee.

This year, the campaign’s goal is to reach $15,000 with a goal of raising $5,000 in the month of April. Last year, more than $10,000 was raised, directly resulting in funding 15 grants for specialized library programming. 

These funds provide students with unique opportunities, such as professional author visits, upgraded STEM materials, and the popular "Battle of the Books" competition for middle and high school students across the district.

This year's financial target will allow for the awarding of 10 additional grants compared to previous cycles. 

What they’re saying: “With these resources, we were able to strengthen our first, third and fourth-grade book clubs and enrichment groups, creating shared reading experiences that would not have been possible otherwise,” Campbell Elementary School Librarian Patrick Aziz, said. 

What’s next: By rallying community support, the district aims to ensure librarians have the necessary tools to foster innovation and a love of reading in every student. To join the district in supporting its librarians, community members can donate at bit.ly/giveaisdlib26.

Pre-K Enrollment Fair - April 11

Annual Latino Academic Achievement Awards - April 15

National Volunteer Week - April 19 - 25

Earth Week 2026 - April 20 - 25

Austin ISD Volunteer Program Appreciation Day - April 23

National Drug Take Back - April 25

Budget Talks - April 25

Harris Elementary Grand Opening - April 28

Budget Talk - April 28 (In Person Meeting)

Thriving Through Transitions: Mental Health & School Changes - April 29

Tools for Success/Herramientas para el Éxito (En Español) - April 29

For more events, visit the Austin ISD Calendar. 

Austin ISD educator competing to become 'America's Favorite Teacher' - KVUE 

Austin ISD projects $181M deficit, cuts to staff and art programs - Statesman

Austin ISD graduate is leading NASA's Artemis II mission - CBS Austin 

NTSB investigating another incident of Waymo passing Austin ISD school bus - KVUE

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! 🌟 We are celebrating all month long, with a special focus during Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 19–25). To honor these contributions, the City of Austin is hosting a formal proclamation at 9 a.m. on April 23 at City Hall to officially declare April 23 as Austin ISD Volunteer Program Appreciation Day. You are all invited to join us!

And mark on your calendar, April 20-24, we want to give a massive shoutout and heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible Administrative and Afterschool Professionals! This is your week and we want to make sure you know how truly valued you are for everything you do. We celebrate you and all your hard work!

Have a great month!

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 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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