At his 100th and final board meeting, trustee Paul Saldaña delivered his final words as the Austin ISD representative for District 6. Trustee Saldaña announced his resignation earlier this month citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

"I will forever cherish the many long hours and sleep deprivation we shared as a team in an effort to serve the students, parents, teachers and staff of this community," he said.

Saldaña reiterated much of what he said during his formal resignation announcement on April 7 by emphasizing the importance of equity for students districtwide. He thanked his family, fellow trustees, and staff members and students of the district for allowing him to serve.

"You inspired me every day," he said.

Trustee Edmund "Ted" Gordon called Saldaña the "moral compass" of the board and commended him for his leadership on several initiatives to protect minorities, including the immigrant student resolution, which solidified the district's support of all students, regardless of nationality, during the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids earlier this year.

"You have been the conscious of this board, insisting that the board and district live up to its principals of diversity, equity and inclusion as it seeks to provide a quality education for every child and to tend to the needs of each whole child," he said.

A native Austinite and graduate of Lanier High School, Saldaña was elected to the AISD board of trustees in 2014 and became the board's vice president in 2016. His term was scheduled to expire in 2018.

Rather than calling for a special election, the board voted unanimously to fill Saldaña's vacancy by appointment. An application and questionnaire for the District 6 trustee position will be posted on the AISD website for interested applicants. A candidate orientation will be held prior to the May 8 deadline to submit application materials. The board will take action to appoint a District 6 trustee on June 12.