Northwest Austin Edition | January 2022

EDUCATION

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Austinschools faceuphill battle for abalancedbudget

RRISD Aquatic Center completion expected sometime in March One of Round Rock ISD’s 2018 bond projects, a $16.4 million aquatic practice center on the Cedar Ridge High School campus, is expected to be completed by March or early April. RRISD Chief Operating Ocer Terry Worcester said the project has faced some delays due to materials availability issues driven by the supply chain, but construction is on track for a spring opening and summer use.

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. DEFICIT KEY SURPLUS

AUSTIN ISD Over the next six months, Austin ISD will craft its 2022-23 budget on the heels of an anticipated $62 million shortfall in the 2021-22 school year. The district is going into the process facing multiple constraints: Superintendent Stephaine 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. The budgetary process kicked o in January, culminat- ing in June with public hearings on the proposal. In November, Elizalde pushed 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. In past years, the district has passed a budget with a decit. This gap is made up either through attrition—not every position that is budgeted for is lled all the time—or through taking money from the fund balance. However, AISD does not have enough money to dip into the reserves without jeopardizing its bond rating. To get the best rating from the Texas Education Agency, districts should have 90 days of cash reserves in the fund balance, which the district is already slightly below, according to district documents.

Proposed

Actual

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

$31,713,696

$19,270,402

GATTIS SCHOOL RD.

CEDAR RIDGE

$24,932,428

$3,237,480

$931,068

$74,544,090

45 TOLL

$3,819,915

$9,322,403

$53,881,009

$17,277,945

Pugerville ISD prioritizes employee retention District ocials are ramping up strategies to shore up sta retention and recruitment. As part of that campaign, board members during a Dec. 16 meeting approved a one-time $500 stipend for eligible employees, totaling $2 million, as well as a pay bump for hourly employees totaling $1 million. The pay adjustment shifts minimum pay for various hourly sta positions throughout the district up to $15 per hour.

$21,266,911

$3,873,274

$3,083,488

$19,846,463

$47,554,870

$32,462,630

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Falling below this goal could put its bond rating at risk and result in millions of interest rate costs for AISD when it sells bonds, AISD spokesman Eddie Villa said.

RoundRock ISDputs superintendent on leave, investigation underway

PAY INCREASES

BY BROOKE SJOBERG

His suspension came at the recommendation of Texas Education Agency Monitor David Faltys, based on underlying personal conduct described in a protective order iled in a Travis County District Court. The Texas Education Agency assigned Faltys in December to monitor the district in 2022 following a complaint against a former board member.

The board origi- nally voted June 14 to hire Azaiez for a three-year contract with a $350,000 salary. Chief of Innova- tion Daniel Presley is now acting superintendent, a role he previously served in. Hafedh Azaiez

STIPEND

ROUND ROCK ISD Oficials conirmed Jan. 13 that an external investigation of suspended Superin- tendent Hafedh Azaiez is underway. The district’s board of trustees voted Jan. 6 to engage an external investigator and place Azaiez on administrative leave pending the outcome of such an investigation.

HOURLY RAISE • Total of $2 million • One-time payment of $500 per eligible employee in spring 2022 • Total of $1 million • Raises all applicable hourly jobs to $15 per hour in spring 2022

SOURCE: PFLUGERVILLE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2022