EDUCATION BRIEFS
CONTINUED FROM 1 TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Austin airport breaks new passenger record, sees 2nd-busiest day ever
News from Austin ISD
UPCOMING PROJECT
HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN ISD The district is on track to install solar panels on 16 more schools thanks to a nearly $15 million federal grant. The U.S. Department of Energy will award Austin ISD the grant to help the district achieve its goal of having net-zero- emissions schools and increasing investment in disadvantaged communities within the district. AUSTIN ISD As temperatures in the Austin area remain high, Austin ISD o cials are beginning to address the heating, ventilation and air conditioning problems with money from the $2.44 billion bond package passed in 2022. The rst round of HVAC projects included in the 2022 bond package will begin this summer. The district is prioritizing projects that don’t require extensive permitting or engineering services and eliminate rental equipment expenses, such as chillers, which can each cost the district about $10,000 a month. Austin ISD will meet Aug. 10 and 31 at 6 p.m. at 4000 S. I-35, Austin. www.austinisd.org MEETINGS WE COVER
Austin ISD passes largest budget shortfall in 6 years AUSTIN ISD Trustees approved a scal year 2023-24 budget with a projected $52.25 million shortfall during a board meeting June 22. The shortfall—the largest approved since the 2017-18 school year—was approved to fund raises. BY AMANDA CUTSHALL PAY INCREASES Austin ISD approved a projected $52.25 million shortfall for the 2023-24 academic year to nance raises. The plan includes:
BUSIEST DAYS AT ABIA
PLAZA SALTILLO STATION
In case you missed it: Trustees approved a “historic” pay raise at a May 18 meeting, raising salaries for teachers and sta throughout the district. As a result, the district will spend about $53 million of its reserve funds to achieve the raise. The compensation package will begin in the fall semester. The breakdown: The district's $2.1 billion budget is determined based on enrollment numbers, daily attendance and taxes. As a result, Ramos said during the meeting the budget was made with the following assumptions for the upcoming school year: • Enrollment of 73,681 students • Average daily attendance of 67,786 students • Average daily attendance rate of 92% • Property value growth at 14% To alleviate some of the shortfall, Ramos and his team came up with a
The 2023 Fourth of July weekend is the only holiday on the list of the top six busiest days.
ONION ST.
BY ELLE BENT
airplanes and increase route frequen- cies. Compared to last summer, up to 7% more airline seats are for sale between May and July, according to a news release from ABIA. In 2021, ABIA launched Journey with AUS, an expansion and develop- ment program aimed at addressing increased passenger growth. This will include the construction of a new mid eld concourse, the area in which travelers pass through to arrive at their gates. ABIA launched a survey June 28 to begin determining the design of the mid eld concourse. ABIA settled two lawsuits June 1 for $88 million with South Terminal operator LoneStar Airport Holdings LLC to remove the terminal in 2025 to make way for the mid eld concourse. Departing passengers should arrive at least 2 1/2 hours prior to their domestic ight departure. For international ights, ABIA o cials
Number of departing passengers
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport saw its second-busiest day ever July 1 with over 37,000 departing passengers. This is the rst time the Fourth of July holiday has been one of the top ve busiest days for ABIA. The last busiest Fourth of July travel date was July 1, 2022, with about 33,000 departing passengers, according to ABIA o cials. The previous second-busiest day for ABIA was March 10, the Friday before this year’s South by Southwest Conference & Festivals with over 36,800 passengers departing. May 2022 marked the busiest month in ABIA’s history with over 2 million passengers traveling through the airport that month. ABIA o cials anticipated a busy season this summer as airlines began to add new destinations, use larger
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MATAMOROS ST.
43,177 October 25, 2022 Monday after Formula 1 Grand Prix June 30, 2023 Friday before 4th of July 37,192 March 10, 2023 Friday before South by Southwest 36,841 March 13, 2023 Monday of SXSW 36,265 April 17, 2023 Day after MotoGP 36,253 May 21, 2023 36,164
Rail line double tracking funded Federal funding will support Capi- tal Metro’s plans to double-track a portion of its Red Line commuter rail line, upgrade the Plaza Saltillo station, and bring other mobility and safety improvements to East Austin. The U.S. Department of Transportation on June 28 announced nearly $100 million in funding for Texas, including $18 million for CapMetro’s Austin project. The project will add a new rail track for the Red Line between Onion Street west of Plaza Saltillo and Matamoros Street to the east. Timeline: TBD-late 2026 Cost: $18 million Funding source: USDOT
$4 -per-hour raises for all classi ed employees 7% raises for teachers, librarians, counselors, instructional coaches and special education-related positions 5% raises for administrative professionals 3% increase for executive directors and above Above-market-level pay adjustments for licensed specialists in school psychology and educational diagnosticians $7,000 stipends for bilingual and special education sta SOURCE: AUSTIN ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s happening: After grappling with alternative solutions since Chief Financial O cer Eduardo Ramos’ budget presentation June 2, trustees made the decision to move forward in adopting the proposed budget with an adjustment to add $500,000 to add six athletic trainers to the district. Trustees alsodecided to circle back early this fall to approve an amended budget with the hope the state will approve more money for the district—ideally an increase in basic allotments. The basic allotment is the amount of money a district can keep per student.
GT World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas
SOURCE: AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JULY 11. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT CTANEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.
$15 million reduction plan, including not immediately ll new or vacant positions.
recommend arriving three hours prior to departure.
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