The board held its final voting meeting before the upcoming school year on June 26. The agenda included discussions on school consolidations, the 2025-26 budget, and school improvement plans.
A presentation was given about the second phase of community engagement in the consolidation process. The first phase involved a survey with input from 14,024 members of the Austin ISD community. Respondents highlighted concerns about teacher quality and academic excellence.
Progress is being made on a consolidation tool that will include data and contextual analysis, considering factors like building utilization and cost per student. Over 630 people attended recent meetings to preview this tool. Further workshops are scheduled for July to refine it.
Community feedback is encouraged through a survey open until July 11, focusing on part one of the consolidation tool and general comments about the process.
The board also voted on improvement plans for Dobie, Webb, and Burnet middle schools ahead of a Texas Education Agency deadline. Goals include achieving acceptable ratings during the next two school years, improving special education outcomes by 10%, and creating documented intervention plans for students needing additional support.
These plans await TEA approval, with district leaders monitoring progress. If necessary, partnerships with third-party operators may be considered for future school years if goals aren’t met.
The board approved a budget with a $19.7 million deficit due to rising costs outpacing funding increases in Texas public schools. The budget includes $1.58 billion in revenue and outlines raises for teachers based on experience levels.
Due to multi-year deficits, fund balances have fallen below previous minimums. An updated policy allows for a minimum balance of 15% for 2025-26, aiming to restore it to 20% by June 2028.
No meetings are planned for July; updates will resume in August’s Board Bulletin.
