The Board of Trustees and administration of Austin Independent School District (AISD) have announced expansions in public comment access, aiming to enhance community involvement and transparency within the district.
Under the new updates, elementary-level teachers will now have more flexibility to provide feedback by calling outside their duty hours. Additionally, public comments will be accepted in both in-person and recorded formats during Board Information Sessions and Board Regular Voting Meetings.
"It is imperative that we foster an inclusive environment that encourages the active involvement of stakeholders," said Megan Vasquez, a teacher at Becker Elementary School, during a public comment session. "By implementing these policy changes, we can ensure our dedicated staff and community members have opportunities to participate meaningfully in decisions that directly impact them."
The updates will impact two policies within AISD: BED Local and BED Regulation. While Local policies are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees through a vote, Regulation policies are within the purview of the Superintendent and do not require a board vote.
Prior to the change, Board Information Sessions only allowed for recorded public comments. The BED Local update will now enable both in-person and recorded options at these sessions, as well as at Board Regular Voting Meetings. The BED Regulation will extend the hours for public comment sign-ups, with the new timeframe running until 4:30 p.m. on the day of a meeting and allowing registrations and recordings from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. the day before meetings.
In a statement, AISD said that these changes align with the district's values of community involvement and transparency. The initiative aims to ensure that all staff members have time to provide feedback to the Board of Trustees.