Dear Austin ISD families and staff,
I hope you are all soaking up the last weeks of summer and are feeling ready to get back in the swing of things. As we begin this new school year, I am inviting you to engage with Austin ISD in a meaningful way as we develop a budget strategy for the coming years.
This past spring, school districts across Texas had to make significant cuts to balance their budgets and Austin ISD is no exception. This is due in large part to rising costs and the legislature’s failure to increase funding for public education.
While district leaders cut $30 million of non-campus expenses from our budget last spring, we still face a $78 million shortfall. To maintain our fiscal integrity, we must develop a plan to balance the budget over the next two years. As I’ve shared with you before, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to protect the classroom from these cuts. That is why I'm going to need each of you to help weigh in on these difficult decisions.
Our aim is to leverage every dollar available to us to better serve our students — and that means reevaluating every aspect of the way we support our schools. It also means that our board may be asking voters to approve a tax increase with a possible tax rate election this November.
These are incredibly important conversations and I invite you to get involved. Mark your calendars and join us in our series of virtual community conversations regarding long-term budget planning and a possible tax rate election.
- Noon, Aug. 6, community conversation, Join via Zoom
- 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7, staff conversation, Join via Zoom
- 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7, community conversation, Join via Zoom
District leaders and trustees will be available to answer questions and listen to ideas. All conversations will be in English and Spanish with ASL interpretation.
I’m proud to be Austin’s public school district. We are uniquely Austin. We do things our way and I know that together we will find a path forward that allows us to continue providing a stellar educational experience for all students and make Austin ISD a place we all feel proud to be part of.
Thank you and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Matias Segura
Superintendent