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Austin-area schools overwhelmingly reject hiring chaplains as counselors

State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, praised school boards across Texas on Thursday for rejecting a Republican-led effort to let religious chaplains provide mental health services to students. “We are here to celebrate an important victory in the fight against…

Austin-area school board president abruptly resigns and leaves meeting

Del Valle ISD’s board meeting kicked off with a major announcement on Tuesday: Board President Rebecca Birch said she was resigning, effective immediately. She had served on the board for nearly 12 years and spent more than half of that…

5 questions with Austin ISD’s new superintendent, Matias Segura

Lee esta historia en español About one year after Matias Segura became the Austin Independent School District’s interim superintendent, he now has the permanent job. The school board unanimously voted to appoint him to the role. Austin ISD has not…

Austin to offer free library cards to people outside the city

People who live outside the city will soon no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin public library card. City Council voted to remove the fees last week after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation, commissioners…

Austin ISD will post superintendent job instead of conducting a national search

The Austin Independent School District is scrapping previous plans for a nationwide search to find a permanent superintendent. The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to post the job starting Friday. School boards have the power to hire…

Will new science textbooks in Texas accurately depict climate change? Some worry they won’t.

The Texas State Board of Education is slated to vote today on which new science textbooks to approve for use in public schools. Some public education advocates are worried the Republican-controlled board will sign off only on materials that water down information about…

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Austin ISD hits key milestone to reduce backlog of special education evaluations

The Austin Independent School District this week met a key requirement outlined in a state-ordered plan to improve its special education services. The Texas Education Agency’s corrective action plan required Austin ISD to complete all overdue special education evaluations for which…

Tuition drop at Concordia University seen as move to increase access, enrollment

In a bid to bolster enrollment that has slipped since the Covid-19 pandemic, Concordia University will reduce its published tuition cost by 40 percent beginning next school year, to $23,500. The change is a reduction as well as an acknowledgement…

Rural schools near Austin say they feel left behind as governor pushes for vouchers

For Randy Willis, public schools are crucial to rural communities. “I think the rural schools are the heart of Texas. They’re the backbone of Texas,” he said. Willis is the executive director of the Texas Association of Rural Schools, which represents…

Austin ISD may still face conservatorship under the state's alternative special ed plan

Austin Independent School District has released the plan that the Texas Education Agency proposed to improve special education services in the district. Interim Superintendent Matias Segura announced Wednesday that the TEA had presented the district an alternative to a special education…

Austin ISD making progress on school safety projects included in 2022 bond

Joslin Elementary School Principal ChaoLin Chang walked along the edge of the campus on Menchaca Road in South Austin, pointing to where a 6-foot-tall fence is going to be installed. “This is our existing fence. The new fence will pretty…

Urban Land Institute offers a glimpse at plans for UT's many real estate holdings in Austin

From the development of the life sciences Innovation District to land eyed for possible use by federally funded semiconductor research and manufacturing, the land holdings of the University of Texas continue to play a huge role in the development efforts…

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