South Central Austin Edition | October 2024

Education

BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & ELLE BENT

What’s on the ballot for Austin ISD voters? Austin ISD voters will weigh on two con- tested board of trustees seats and a potential tax rate increase this November. For the AISD board of trustees, 10 can- didates are running. Incumbents Kevin Foster and Lynn Boswell are uncontested for districts 3 and 5, respectively. Ofelia Zapata will not run for re-election for District 2, nor will Noelita Lugo for the at-large position. Voters will decide between two district 2 candidates and six at-large candidates. AISD ocials are also asking for a prop- erty tax increase to oset a $119 million budget decit. If approved, it’s predicted to generate $171 million in revenue under a tax rate of $0.9505 per $100 valuation. This would be a $34-per-month increase to the average homeowner, or an estimated $412 per year.

Austin districts see uptick of school threats Local districts have seen an uptick in student-made threats against schools since the start of the academic year, said Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura. AISD is one of several Austin-metro school dis- tricts that have had students arrested for making threats. According to Travis County District Attor- ney José Garza, there are at least 30 cases pending in the DA oce related to these threats. AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said that all threats, whether they are legitimate or rumors, will be investigated and pursued until it’s no longer a threat, regardless of when they occur. If there is probable cause to believe a juvenile committed a crime, Garza said, they will be arrested. The impact Sneed said law enforcement agencies are

“Many of us are running decit budgets at this moment and so this

additional cost is something that isn’t budgeted for. But we have to ensure that our ocers are paid to do this very important work.” MATIAS SEGURA, AUSTIN ISD SUPERINTENDENT

working through the late hours to investigate these threats, which puts a weight on their resources. The process also involves ocers having to expend overtime amid districts facing budget shortfalls, Segura said. Discussions about violence can also create feel- ings of fear, anxiety and uncertainty for students, AISD mental health professional Amanda Toohey said. Ocials have asked parents to play an active role in talking to their children about responsible social media use and appropriate jokes.

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SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION