Austin ISD trustees approved improvement plans for struggling campuses on Oct. 29. District staff said the plans include six turnaround plans, four targeted improvement plans and 16 local improvement plans. They are due to the Texas Education Agency by the end of November. Families can track academic and staffing data at these campuses on a public dashboard the district launched Sept. 15.
Trustees Arati Singh and Candace Hunter raised concerns that the plans lack parent engagement. District officials said the TEA template has no section for it and agreed to add parent engagement to campus improvement plans.
Chief Financial Officer Katrina Montgomery said payroll makes up 89.9% of the budget, compared with a national average of 81% to 83%. Superintendent Matias Segura presented options for cuts, including reducing turnaround school funding by up to $3 million, revisiting stipends that total more than $20 million, expanding last year's music, art and physical education staffing cuts, and selling the central office building. No action was taken.
Montgomery said the district projects a $39 million surplus this year, largely from the $16 million sale of the former Brooke Elementary site. Reserves would still end the year at 13.77%, below the 15% minimum Singh said board policy requires. Montgomery said reaching 15% would take about $10 million in additional cuts.