EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Austin ISD
COMPILED BY GLORIE MARTINEZ, MATT PAYNE & DARCY SPRAGUE
HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE During its rst in- person spring commencement since 2019 on May 13, Austin Community College celebrated a record number of graduates. Combined with the almost 3,400 graduates who were recognized at fall commencement in December, ACC recognized 7,080 graduate candidates this academic year. AUSTIN ISD Members of Austin ISD’s employees union Education Austin advocated for higher wages for the district’s classi ed employees at a school board meeting April 28. AISD’s preliminary budget for next school year includes increasing bus drivers’ minimum wage to $21 an hour and raising base pay for all classi ed employees to $16 an hour. Education Austin members urged the board to further increase teacher raises and adopt a $20 per hour minimum wage for all classi ed employees.
Superintendent Elizalde picked to helm Dallas ISD AUSTIN ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde was named the lone nalist for the Dallas ISD superintendent role May 18. In a statement, Austin ISD board President Geronimo Rodriguez wrote trustees would meet soon to establish a transi- tion plan. “Thank you to Dr. Elizalde for her steadfast leadership through what has been an unprecedented and challenging two years,” Rodriguez said in the statement. Elizalde, who was Dallas ISD's
BALANCING THE BUDGET
Recapture 50.3%
Payroll cost 43%
As Austin ISD struggles to balance its budget amid declining enrollment, less than half of taxpayers’ dollars actually go to AISD’s budget. The rest goes to recapture.
$1.68 BILLION
Purchase and contracted services 3.8%
Other operations 1%
Supplies 1.8%
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Austin ISD to owe $846M in recapture
AUSTIN ISD Record increases in Travis County property values drove up Austin ISD’s expected recapture payment from $800 million to $846 million, according to the district. Recapture refers to Texas legislation that requires property-rich school dis- tricts, such as AISD, to pay a portion of locally collected property tax revenue to the state, which then distributes the funds to property-poor districts.
Due to rising property values, AISD has the highest recapture payment of all districts in the state—more than Houston, Plano and Midland, the next three highest-paying districts, combined. The district also faces declining enrollment, which reduces the district’s income. Less than half of every dollar collected from Austin taxpayers goes to AISD.
chief of school leadership, was hired by AISD on Aug. 11, 2020, after a nearly six-month
MEETINGS WE COVER
Austin ISD Meets June 9 at 5:30 p.m. 4000 S. I-35, Austin www.austinisd.org
search to nd the district’s next leader.
Stephanie Elizalde
FEEL GOOD AGAIN
After a difficult two years for our community, families are continuing to struggle as food and housing prices soar. The 1 in 5 Central Texas children at risk of hunger need your help so they can have a happy, healthy summer.
GIVE
centraltexasfoodbank.org
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • MAY 2022
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