Community members can provide input on Austin ISD’s proposed fiscal year 2016 preliminary budget at four meetings occurring May 12-28.

Presentations will address topics such as the district’s projected shortfalls as well as long-range financial planning. Child care, light refreshments and Spanish interpretation will be provided, according to a May 4 news release. Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley noted in a presentation at the April 27 board of trustees meeting that current plans include 1.5 percent salary increases for regular and part-time employees. AISD staff and parents recently urged the board to increase the raise to 5 percent for employees. Meeting dates, times and locations are:
  • May 12, 6-8 p.m., Bowie High School, 4103 Slaughter Lane
  • May 18, noon-1:30 p.m., Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy, 7414 Johnny Morris Road
  • May 27, 6-8 p.m., Perez Elementary School, 7500 S. Pleasant Valley Road
  • May 28, noon-1:30 p.m., Doss Elementary School, 7005 Northledge Drive
The district will also host a “Tele-Town Hall” during which members of the community can listen to a budget presentation via the livestream at www.austinisd.org and submit questions. That will take place May 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the Carruth Administration Center Board Room at 1111 W. Sixth St. The current preliminary budget assumes an enrollment decrease of 569 students, Conley said. The budget assumes no change to school finance structure or revenue it will receive from the state as part of the current legislative session it is too early to speculate, Conley said. At a school finance briefing for local media April 30, the district emphasized it is the state’s single largest payer of recapture, also known as Robin Hood, through which property-rich districts such as AISD are required by law to send money to the state to be redistributed among districts deemed property-poor.