EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Dripping Springs & Austin ISDs & Austin Community College
HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN ISD The Texas Education Agency released the 2021-22 accountability ratings on Aug. 15 for school districts and individual schools. Austin ISD received an overall B rating, scoring 88 out of 100 points. AISD said a record number of campuses—40—received A ratings including 20 which had scored lower in previous years. Dripping Springs ISD received an A rating and 93 out of 100 points. No campus in Dripping Springs ISD received lower than a B rating. The TEA did not give ratings in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AUSTIN ISD On Aug. 18, district sta proposed changing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Austin ISD school year calendars to make Election Day a holiday for students. If approved by the AISD board of trustees, Nov. 8, 2022, and Nov. 7, 2023, would also become sta development days. The move would make campuses safer as many of the schools are used as polling sites, which allows for public access to the campuses, according to Jacob Reach, AISD chief of governmental relations and board services. AUSTIN ISD Disciplinary data presented Sept. 1 to the board of trustees shows the district lags behind in reducing the disproportionate discipline of Black students but is making progress with special education students. Black students in Austin ISD, 6.5% of the district’s student population, accounted for 17.5% of all disciplinary actions in the district during the 2021- 22 school year. Students receiving special education services, 13.4% of the district’s student population, accounted for 29.7%. Austin ISD Meets Oct. 13 and 27 at 6 p.m. 4000 S. I-35, Austin www.austinisd.org Dripping Springs ISD Meets Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. 510 W. Mercer St., Dripping Springs www.dsisdtx.us Austin Community College Board of Trustees Meets Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin. www.austincc.edu MEETINGS WE COVER NUMBER TO KNOW The tax rate per $100 of taxable property value that Austin ISD will vote on Sept. 29. If authorized, the rate would be the lowest among surrounding Central Texas school districts, according to AISD Chief Financial O cer Eduardo Ramos. $0.9966 proposed
DSISD asks for $481.13M bond package
WHAT’S IN THE BOND PACKAGE?
The bond package is split into three propositions. Each proposition could be independently passed or rejected. Proposition A $199.28 million • Construction of sixth elementary school • Expansion of Sycamore Springs Middle School • Designs for a future elementary and middle school • Other renovations to existing schools • Campus security upgrades • New buses $481.13M Total
BY ZACH KEEL
elementary school and middle school, and renovations to existing schools. Campus security upgrades and new buses would also be covered. Proposition B, $275.35 million, is exclusively for building a second high school in the district. Proposition C, $6.5 million, would be applied to technology upgrades, including student devices and interactive panels. The rst proposal not selected by the board was also valued at $481.13 million but split into two propositions. Instead of having its own proposition, the $275.35 million for a new high school was rolled into Proposition A. The other proposal not selected by the board was valued at $215.8 million and excluded construction funding for a new high school. Instead, $10 million was allocated for a design phase.
DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD Voters will decide whether to approve a $481.13 million Dripping Springs ISD bond package in November’s election. In a 6-1 vote during an Aug. 18 meeting, the Dripping Springs ISD board of trustees authorized the bond election. The lone “no” vote was cast by Trustee Tricia Quintero. The board selected the second of three bond package proposals provided by DSISD’s administration. No tax rate increase will be required to meet repayment obligations. The selected package is separated into three propositions. Proposition A, $199.28 million, will include the construction of the district’s sixth elementary school, an expansion of Sycamore Springs Middle School, designs for a future
$275.35 million • Building a second high school Proposition B
$6.5 million • Technology upgrades, including student devices and interactive panels Proposition C SOURCE: DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Austin Community College board advances $770 million bond
SOUTH CAMPUSES
The Austin Community College bond would reopen and expand the Pinnacle Campus and open a workforce center.
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BY CHLOE YOUNG
AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE The board of trustees voted Aug. 11 to add a bond to the November election. If approved by Central Texas voters, the $770 million bond would go toward expanding Austin Community College’s workforce training in elds such as health care, advanced manufacturing and information technology across 11 campuses. It would create a new campus in southeast Travis County and reopen and expand the Pinnacle Campus. “We are committed to giving Central Texans the most opportunity to prepare for the future,” said Nora de Hoyos Comstock, ACC board of trustees vice chair.
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Pinnacle Campus Southeast college training center SOURCE: AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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The bond would not raise the property tax rate, as property values are anticipated to keep rising, said Sydney Pruitt, ACC senior media relations coordinator. A $500,000 household would pay a maximum of $5 per year for the rst ve years and up to $25 per year afterward.
Austin ISD income An increasing amount of AISD’s revenue is expected to come from local taxes. Local revenue $1.4B
Austin ISD enters new scal year
teachers based on midpoint salaries, according to district o cials. It also includes stipends based on tenure. Additionally, $8 million will go to raise the district’s minimum hourly wage to $16, from $13.50, and another $1 million will go to increas- ing the minimum hourly pay for bus drivers to $21 from $17. The district is projecting $1.66 billion in revenue. That includes $1.57 billion from local revenue, $62.64 million in state funds and $19.97 million in federal funds.
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23*
$1.45B
$1.57B
BY DARCY SPRAGUE
AUSTIN ISD On Oct. 1, Austin ISD will start the 2022-23 scal year with a $1.68 billion budget. The budget, passed June 23, is centered on retaining teachers and
$1.66B total revenue projected for 2022-23
State revenue $71.45M 2020-21 2021-22 $64.63M $62.64M 2022-23* Federal revenue
$43.53M $105.1M $19.97M
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23*
sta , according to the district. The budget provides a $1,000 annual pay bump and 2% raise for SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
*2022 23 PROJECTED REVENUE
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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