EDUCATION BRIEFS AISD faces TEA oversight due to special education concerns
News from Austin ISD, Pflugerville ISD & Round Rock ISD
RRISD faces staffing shifts as costs increase BY BROOKE SJOBERG ROUND ROCK ISD Some Round Rock ISD employees may see some changes in their roles this upcoming school year as the district deals with budgetary constraints. The district told its library assistants April 12 that their positions had been eliminated and that they would be reassigned throughout the district as needed. Maritza Gallaga, RRISD interim chief of public affairs and communication, said the move is largely due to the discontinuation of Elementary and Secondary School projecting more than $100 million in recapture for the 2022-23 school year—at least $30 million more than initially projected when the district’s board of trustees approved its budget last June. Emergency Relief funding. Gallaga said the district is
SPECIAL EDUCATION BACKLOG Austin ISD is facing possible state conservatorship over its backlog of special education evaluations. evaluations and re-evaluations were overdue as of March 20. 1,808 evaluations have been requested since January. 1,263 evaluations were completed between May 2022 and March 2023. SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT More than 4,000 The plan: The district is considering significant wage increases for these positions as part of its 2023-24 budget, Segura said, along with: • Up to $20,000 in annual incentives • Centralized evaluations tracking • Help from outside experts • Committee of board leadership to monitor progress
AUSTIN ISD On April 17, Austin ISD officials announced they would challenge the state’s decision to install conservators—or state-ap- pointed individuals with binding decision powers—due to concerns with the district’s special education evaluation backlog. What’s new: AISD requested an informal review by the Texas Educa- tion Agency’s plan. If the TEA assigns a conservator following that process, the district will have an opportunity to file a petition for review with the State Office of Administrative Hearings, AISD board President Arati Singh said. How we got here: Families who believe their student may have a learning disability can request an BY AMANDA CUTSHALL & DARCY SPRAGUE
evaluation through the district. The state determines how quickly districts must complete each step of the process. A TEA report found AISD experienced significant delays and failed to meet the timeline in dozens of cases. AISD interim Superintendent Matias Segura said several issues led to this: • During COVID-19 virtual learning, the district could not conduct evaluations. • Only 21 of AISD’s 72 positions for special education diagnosticians were filled as of March 31. There are only about 250 people licensed
to provide those services in Central Texas, Segura said.
Quote to know: “This would not be a takeover of the school district as is currently happening in Houston ISD,” Singh said.
International School Magellan PRIVATE. Independent. RIGOROUS. Challenging. ELITE. Inclusive. High School Opening Fall 2024 NOW ENROLLING PRESCHOOL - 8
10
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook