Education
BY ELLE BENT, HANNAH NORTON & BROOKE SJOBERG
Austin ISD rolls out new police motorcycle unit As Texas school districts work to comply with House Bill 3—the requirement that all schools have at least one armed o cer on campus—Aus- tin ISD o cials are doing so “their way” with a new motorcycle unit for the district police department. What’s happening? The district is actively recruiting, with the goal of 70 o cers in the motorcycle eet, AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said. The o cers will be tasked with tra c enforcement, patrolling and more. Superintendent Matias Segura said the new unit will help attract recruits to the AISD police department and be competitive in the region. How we got here Passed during the 88th legislative session,
RRISD employees to receive 1% pay raise
66-plus UT sta laid o under DEI ban At least 66 sta members who previously worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-re- lated roles received termination notices from The University of Texas on April 2, UT engineering professor Brian Evans said. The details The layo s spanned 15 of the university’s 19 colleges and schools, including the now-shuttered Division of Campus and Community Engagement, Evans said. Forty sta members from the DCCE lost their jobs. The changes comply with Texas Senate Bill 17, a law passed in 2023 banning DEI initiatives at public colleges and universities. In an April 11 open letter, around 350 UT students and alumni said the university “betrayed” them by laying o sta and closing “vital university divisions.”
RRISD enrollment projected to increase A new demographic report for Round Rock ISD shows the district could once again reach an enrollment exceeding 48,000 students by the 2033-34 school year, in a best-case scenario. What you need to know In a quarterly report to the district, Bob Templeton of demographics rm Zonda Education said the district could see enroll- ment rise again over the next 10 years after a period of decline. These conclusions are based on housing market data, including the number of bed- rooms per home, and whether or not homes are intended for single- or multifamily, he said. In a lower growth scenario, the district would see its enrollment level o at 44,100 students in ve years.
Pay adjustments A 1% pay increase would play out di erently across di erent job models, per the district’s proposal and adjustments requested by the board. Increase starting salary to $56,000 , eligible employees receive a $625 general pay increase Teachers and librarians Adjust pay structure per Texas Association of School Boards recommendation, eligible employees receive a $2 hourly increase Transportation Adjust pay structure per TASB recommendation, eligible employees receive a 1% raise based on the midpoint salary for position Support, technology, police Eligible employees receive a one-time payment of $500 if enrollment exceeds 47,000 students before the last Friday in October, additional $500 if spring enrollment exceeds 47,500 Retention incentive
District employees at Round Rock ISD will receive a 1% pay raise for the 2024-25 budget year and could receive a bonus tied to the district’s student enroll- ment after trustees approved a compensation plan to be included in the budgetary process April 18. What you need to know Despite a projected budgetary shortfall of $30 million, district administrators said this will not preclude them from including a small pay bump for employees in proposals for the budget. If implemented, the 1% raises would cost the dis- trict about $3.8 million, with the retention incentive coming out to $3.3 million. What’s next? Budgetary discussions will continue as the board approaches its June meeting, when trustees will vote on its nancial framework for next scal year.
Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed demonstrates the lights and sirens on a BMW motorcycle for the new eet.
ELLE BENT COMMUNITY IMPACT
school district o cials are required to decide on changes to comply with HB 3, which went into e ect Sept. 1. In August, the AISD board of trustees voted to place one o cer at each campus. In order to do so, o cials need to hire 89 additional o cers and support sta . The 70 motorcycle o cers will contribute to that total of 89 the district is working toward, Segura said. Since January, about 25 o cers have joined the AISD Police Department.
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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