Southwest Austin - Dripping Springs Edition | January 2022

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Austin ISD faces uphill battle for balanced budget

Classes resume amid COVID-19 surge Students returned to class Jan. 5, just one day before Travis County returned to Stage 5 COVID-19 safety guidelines over a surge in cases. Hays County also reported a spike in cases. Austin ISD is not oering a virtual option for students. Attendance rates dropped Jan. 5 to 83.93% and rose back to 94.39% on Jan. 6. Dripping Springs ISD did not see as large of a drop in attendance. About 91% of students were present the rst week of classes, compared to 94% during the week before break. Returning to class Attendance dipped as students returned from the winter holiday. Percentage of students returned to class Jan. 5:

BY DARCY SPRAGUE

BREAKING EVEN Austin ISD has passed budgets with decits in the past. However, ocials have stated the goal is to pass a balanced budget this year, as the fund balance is too low to dip into without jeopardizing AISD’s nancial rating.

AUSTIN ISD Over the next six months, Austin ISD will craft its 2022-23 budget on the heels of an anticipated $66 million shortfall in 2021-22. The district is going into the process facing multiple constraints. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde has stated teachers will not be laid o; the district is facing pressure from parents not to cut electives; recapture payments for the district are growing; enrollment is declining; and the district has to pass a balanced budget because it does not have enough fund balance to cover a decit and maintain its current nancial rating. The budgetary process kicks o in January, and the board will vote to approve the budget— which runs from fall 2022 to spring 2023—in June. “It’s a pretty gloomy outlook, and that’s true nation- wide,” said Amy Campbell, the human resources director of the Texas Association of School Boards, which advises districts on stang. “Unlike HEB or Buc-ee’s, who can increase the cost of their services, ... districts are working with a set income.” This year, there is even more pressure than normal to oer competitive wages, Campbell said. She said districts will have to determine what is important to them and make some tough choices. “I think there is a perception that district budgets are uy, but they have budgeted down to the penny,” Campbell said. In November, Elizalde held a press conference to push for sta raises, including an increase to $16 an hour for hourly, entry-level sta and a 2% raise plus a $1,000 increase for teachers. Elizalde said the cost will be made up by cuts to central oce sta. One of the biggest revenue issues the district faces is declining enrollment. The number of students attending AISD has decreased since 2012 because of competition

KEY

DEFICIT

SURPLUS

Proposed

Actual

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

$31,713,696

$19,270,402

$24,932,428

$3,237,480

$931,068

$74,544,090

$3,819,915

$9,322,403

$53,881,009

$17,277,945

$21,266,911

$3,873,274

83.93% 91.88%

$3,083,488

$19,846,463

$47,554,870

$32,462,630

Austin ISD

Dripping Springs ISD

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD, DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

with charter schools and families being pushed from the city due to lack of aordability, and more recently COVID- 19, according to district documents and Elizalde. Amanda Brownson, associate executive director of policy and research for Texas Association of School Busi- ness Ocials, said districts have to nd a way to reliably calculate revenue, expenditures and stang needs as COVID-19 brings continued uncertainty. “Kids showing up every day has the biggest impact on the budget,” Brownson said. “Districts need to bring some stability to the budget, the kids’ lives, to schools.”

All COVID-19 student-related absences to be forgiven

Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said Jan. 13 that the district will forgive all absences related to COVID-19. Elizalde and school board trustees Kristin Ashy and Arati Singh expressed concern about the eect of absences on students’ learning outcomes and on Austin ISD’s funding from the state— which is determined by the number of days of school attended by students. However, Elizalde said the district will not penalize absences. “The real question should be how we support students while they’re home,” Elizalde said. Staying home AISD is excusing all COVID-19- related absences, but some worry about the eect missing class will have for students and the district. $45 IN STATE REVENUE is lost by the district each time a student misses a day. 23 DAYS OF CLASS are needed to make up each day missed learning.

Austin ISDaccepting substituteswith less education, upping pay to ll vacancies

FILLING IN Austin ISD is experiencing a shortage of substitutes as high numbers of teachers call out sick.

Out of roughly

AUSTIN ISD To cover for the high number of teachers out in January, about 450 central oce workers, including Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, took over classes. The district has a roster of substitute teachers, but not enough are actively working to ll the gap. Between 479-561 teachers requested substitutes daily to cover their classes, from Jan. 10-13, according to the district. During the rst week of classes, the week of Jan. 3, 504 teachers BY DARCY SPRAGUE & MAGGIE QUINLAN

reported positive COVID-19 cases. The following week, Jan. 10, 370 teachers were positive. To address the need for more help, Austin ISD will now allow substitute teachers with fewer than 60 college credit hours to teach, Elizalde said in a Jan. 13 school board meeting. The district will also provide a $25 daily bonus for substitutes every day they work while the county is in COVID-19 risk Stage 5 and a monthly $300 bonus for sub- stitutes who work every business day of a given month when the

5,500 TEACHERS

10.2%

of teachers were out on Jan. 13 and requested substitutes.

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

county is in Stage 4 or 5. The daily base pay rate for substitutes ranges from $115-$165 based on the type of class covered and the individual’s experience level, per district data.

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION • JANUARY 2022