Education
BY ELLE BENT
AISD offered alternative to state conservatorship The Texas Education Agency offered Austin ISD a new proposal including a monitor Aug. 30 in place of stricter oversight announced in March due to AISD’s backlog of special education evaluations. The details The proposal would require the district to: • Allow a TEA monitor to sit in on board meetings • Dedicate 50% of future board meeting time to discussing student outcomes • Update special education policies • Complete all outstanding evaluations What’s next AISD has until Sept. 29 to accept the proposal and will vote on it Sept. 21, after press time. If rejected, the TEA could impose a conservator, and AISD could request a third-party hearing.
DSISD to implement marshal program Dripping Springs ISD will hire employees to serve as armed responders to a potential intruder for the 2023-24 year. The overview House Bill 3 from the 88th Texas legisla- tive session requires armed security on all campuses. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office provides three officers to the district already but was unable to staff the additional four needed under the new law. Instead, the district will opt into the school marshal program, in which trustees appoint employees to the role. Marshals must have a concealed handgun license and undergo 80 hours of training. The identity of the marshals will not be revealed. Teachers will not be armed, DSISD Director of Safety Sirenna Cumberland said.
TEA levels of intervention
MONITOR • Monitors report to the Texas Education Agency on the activities of the board of trustees or the superintendent.
• Current proposal for Austin ISD • Example: Round Rock ISD, 2021
CONSERVATOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
• A conservator oversees the district and has decision-making power. • Proposed for AISD in March • The board and interim superintendent stay in place.
TAKEOVER
• A state-appointed management team takes over at the district, removing the board. • Example: Houston ISD, 2023
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
School security law to cost Austin ISD roughly $8M
Doubling the officers
SROs are assigned to protect campuses, while other AISD police officers serve as patrol or detectives.
resource officers and support staff, and prioritize schools by size, need and safety concerns at an estimated cost $8 million per year. To cover costs, the board may approve using money from the school safety allotment and reserve funds. The TEA increased the annual school safety allotment by providing $15,000 per campus and increasing the student allotment to a total of $10 per student, according to AISD officials.
The district will place at least one Austin ISD police officer at each of its 116 campuses. The AISD board of trustees made the vote Aug. 31 in response to the passage of House Bill 3 from the 88th legislative session, which requires armed security on all campuses in Texas. The details The district will hire 89 additional school
Current *
Proposed
43 SROs
132 SROs 89 new positions
171 full-time officers
82 full-time officers
*AS OF AUG. 31
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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