Austin ISD to examine equity with self-assessment

"While I am optimistic, I'm not holding my breath that our legislators are going to be able to address and fix our financial challenges," Saldaa said.

Trustee Robert Schneider cast the opposing vote, stating that the Texas Civil Rights Project, which called for AISD to conduct such an assessment, is using AISD to fulfill its own assessment work.

"We're simply trying to do something that one group in the community has asked us to do, and I don't see the need to help this group of folks out," he said, adding he thinks the board should work to improve education for students rather than focusing on race and class issues.

Trustee Edmund Gordon said not addressing the need to provide equitable education to students in schools that are "segregated ... both racially and economically" would be detrimental to the district. He urged moving forward with the self-assessment.

"I think we'll find things that are actually very positive about what we are trying to do for our kids," Gordon said. "I think we'll find things that are a continuation of the historic marginalization of certain portions of our population, but I hope it gives us the basis for trying to address these problems, and saving the district and in that way saving our community—and to a certain extent, ourselves."

During public comment, resident Joan Bartz said the University Hills Neighborhood Association supports AISD's move to correct what she called a long-standing education disparity that has prevented some students from getting the education they need.

Also speaking during public comment was Stacey Smith, who noted she has also been an educator for 16 years and is a parent of a third grader as well as a soon-to-be pre-kindergarten student in East Austin. She cited a chart showing differences in the median net household incomes of Hispanic, African-American and white households.

"This is [about] access to resources. When we have our discussions of equity, this is the hole we're pulling ourselves out of," she said.

Trustees amended the original motion to include direction to develop a framework for the self-assessment.