Austin ISD plans to offer employee insurance benefits to same-sex partners for the 2013–14 school year.

The district's new enrollment process for employees who are considered "qualified individuals" by AISD—including couples residing together who are not legally married, which extends to same-sex partners—will begin in October. Those benefits should be available by Dec. 1, Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said during the district's Aug. 21 all-staff convocation.

"Since September 2012, we have been committed to finding a way to expand access to health insurance benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees," Carstarphen said in a statement. "This is another way of how the district is making its total compensation package more competitive to attract and retain the very best employees."

Earlier this year, the district had announced it planned to offer domestic partners coverage, but officials then decided to maintain the district's current benefits practice until two related U.S. Supreme Court rulings were issued and the Texas Legislative session ended. In late April, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said a school district would violate state law if its health plan recognized a legal status that is similar to marriage.

External legal counsel advised AISD to wait until the rulings before making a final decision April 30, according to a letter to the district from Michael Houser, AISD's chief human capital officer. Based on that advice, AISD had chosen to hold off extending employee insurance coverage to include domestic partnerships in the 2013–14 school year, Houser said.