Education
Transportation
BY CHLOE YOUNG
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & HALEY MCLEOD
Stipends o ered to top teachers for failing schools Austin ISD will oer up to $20,000 in stipends to incentivize high-performing educators to teach at three low-performing middle schools next year. The hiring eort is part of AISD’s plan to restart Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools and avoid state intervention following two years of failed accountability ratings. “This is going to change how we fundamentally sta campuses in our
Northeast ECHS modernization begins Construction work is ocially underway to modernize Northeast Early College High School and International High School—a 70-year-old campus in Northeast Austin. By January 2028, the joint schools are slated to receive new academic and admin- istrative buildings, community and mental health centers as well as athletics renova- tions and expansions. “These improvements are about creating opportunities for every student to thrive,” Superintendent Matias Segura said at a groundbreaking ceremony May 14. “Every detail matters when it comes to building safe, supportive and inspiring places to learn.” Funding for the $117.86 modernization project was approved by voters in the district’s $2.44 bond election in 2022.
Bikeshare fare hike could impact local students Less than a year after Austin’s public transit provider CapMetro rolled out its electric-assist Bikeshare program, the transportation agency has proposed increases in fares in order to sustain costs. The overview The changes will raise the pay-as-you-go fare and cut the included ride time before overtime fees kick in from 60 to 30 minutes. Ocials say the updates are meant to help cover operation and maintenance costs of the new high- tech bike system and to encourage shorter rides with more frequent docking. These rate adjustments will go into eect Aug. 1, after unanimous board approval April 21. Of note Fare increases will also impact day, month and annual passes.
Road work on Burnet Road continues A variety of road improvements along Burnet Road between Koenig Lane and MoPac are continuing, with some work expected to begin later this year. Some context Scheduled work for the Burnet Road Mobility Program includes: • White Horse Trail to US 183, or C2 • Bright Verde Way to MoPac, or C3 • US 183 to Bright Verde Way, or C4 Major construction along Burnet Road ¢rst began in 2022. C2 and C4 construction is slated to begin Fall 2025, with C3 construc- tion beginning in 2026. The city anticipates investing between $45 million to $55 million from the 2016 Mobility Bond on the Burnet Road improvements.
Bikeshare fare structure
CapMetro o cials approved increases to its pay-as-you- go Bikeshare fare structure, to be implemented in August.
Current price
Proposed price
$10
$8 $6 $4 $2 $0
district to make sure that we have the most highly- e ective teachers in front of our students that are most vulnerable.” BRANDI HOSACK, AISD CHIEF TALENT STRATEGY OFFICER
Hiring new sta and implementing the stipends is expected to cost $1.5 million-$1.7 million per campus, Brandi Hosack, AISD chief talent strategy ocer said. The district is aiming to hire nearly 100 teachers with over three years of experience at the three campuses. Some current teachers at the campuses may meet these standards while others may be replaced. Teachers who are removed from their positions will be oered dierent roles in the district. The background Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools
5
10 15 20 25 30
Minutes
SOURCE: CAPMETROCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Student passes—though now expanded to include trade schools, nursing schools, high schools and other educational institutions—will be over ¢ve times more expensive, jumping from $12 annually to $75. Students account for 90% of its total Bike- share ridership, per CapMetro documents. “For a lot of students $75 is a lot—it could be the dierence between maybe buying a textbook or having enough money [for food],” said CapMetro board member Zo Qadri.
received a second consecutive year of F ratings from the state in 2023, according to ratings released by the TEA on April 24. This has required AISD to submit a turnaround plan for each campus to the TEA by June 30. In May, students at the three schools staged walkouts during school hours to protest the potential stang changes.
BRODIE LANE 4970 W Hwy 290 (512) 366-8260
NORTH LAMAR 914 North Lamar (512) 214-6665
SOUTHPARK MEADOWS 9900 S I-35 Frontage Rd (512) 280-7400
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