From left: Austin ISD board of trustees members Julie Cowan, Ann Teich, Amber Elenz and Paul Saldaña speak to members of the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods during an Aug. 11 meeting about how to appoint a new District 7 trustee.[/caption]
Members of the Austin ISD board of trustees spoke Aug. 12 at an Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods meeting about the process for finding an interim trustee to serve District 7.
Robert Schneider, who served on the board of trustees for 13 years, died July 28. The board has been working to find a way to provide representation to District 7 as soon as possible, trustee Paul Saldaña said during the meeting.
“We all represent all of the schools, all of the students,”Saldaña said, adding the board wants to hear from the public on what they would like the board to consider.
The board could not come to an agreement on calling for a special election this November, so by default trustees must appoint an interim trustee to serve until the next regularly scheduled election, Saldaña said. Parents and community members asked questions including when the board will appoint an interim trustee.
Saldaña said he wants the board to vote on an appointment by the end of September. Trustee Amber Elenz said she will be surprised if that happens, noting she had advocated for calling for a special election this November so voters could choose a new trustee.
Parents also asked how that timeline will affect trustees’ plans to vote on a land purchase for a South Austin high school this fall. Saldaña said the board may decide on the matter by December.
The district could launch an application process allowing potential candidates to apply for the role of interim trustee. Trustees said another option could be to appoint the runner-up in the latest election, AISD parent Yasmin Wagner. During the meeting Wagner said if stepping up as the trustee in this time of need is the best way that she can be of service, she would consider being the appointed trustee.
“I have always [had] the intent to serve the district," she said.
Gorzycki Middle School parent Mavis Ball told trustees she has seen District 7 students leave for neighboring schools and will want to know where potential trustees stand on that challenge should the district pursue an application process to determine the appointee.
“Overcrowding is one of the issues, so therefore I would like to know that candidate’s stance on making the hard calls about restructuring boundaries to ease some of the overcrowding without having to build a new high school,” she said.
The board of trustees is scheduled to meet Aug. 17.
From left: Austin ISD board of trustees members Julie Cowan, Ann Teich, Amber Elenz and Paul Saldaña speak to members of the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods during an Aug. 11 meeting about how to appoint a new District 7 trustee.[/caption]
Members of the Austin ISD board of trustees spoke Aug. 12 at an Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods meeting about the process for finding an interim trustee to serve District 7.
Robert Schneider, who served on the board of trustees for 13 years, died July 28. The board has been working to find a way to provide representation to District 7 as soon as possible, trustee Paul Saldaña said during the meeting.
“We all represent all of the schools, all of the students,”Saldaña said, adding the board wants to hear from the public on what they would like the board to consider.
The board could not come to an agreement on calling for a special election this November, so by default trustees must appoint an interim trustee to serve until the next regularly scheduled election, Saldaña said. Parents and community members asked questions including when the board will appoint an interim trustee.
Saldaña said he wants the board to vote on an appointment by the end of September. Trustee Amber Elenz said she will be surprised if that happens, noting she had advocated for calling for a special election this November so voters could choose a new trustee.
Parents also asked how that timeline will affect trustees’ plans to vote on a land purchase for a South Austin high school this fall. Saldaña said the board may decide on the matter by December.
The district could launch an application process allowing potential candidates to apply for the role of interim trustee. Trustees said another option could be to appoint the runner-up in the latest election, AISD parent Yasmin Wagner. During the meeting Wagner said if stepping up as the trustee in this time of need is the best way that she can be of service, she would consider being the appointed trustee.
“I have always [had] the intent to serve the district," she said.
Gorzycki Middle School parent Mavis Ball told trustees she has seen District 7 students leave for neighboring schools and will want to know where potential trustees stand on that challenge should the district pursue an application process to determine the appointee.
“Overcrowding is one of the issues, so therefore I would like to know that candidate’s stance on making the hard calls about restructuring boundaries to ease some of the overcrowding without having to build a new high school,” she said.
The board of trustees is scheduled to meet Aug. 17.
