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EDUCATION
State Board of Education considers approving 5 new charter schools in Texas
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Five new charter schools could be one step closer to opening in Texas if the State Board of Education greenlights them this week. On Wednesday, Texas Education...
ACC Round Rock campus closed this weekend due to chilled water leak
ROUND ROCK, Texas — Austin Community College’s Round Rock campus is closed until Sunday due to a “major underground chilled water leak” that is impacting the cooling system. Repairs are expected to be finished by Monday. All classes, work and activities at all buildings on campus...
Schools can’t wish away the need for DEI officers
When my work began as the supervisor of Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness with Austin Independent School District in 2010, my role was to support staff members to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools for about 80,000 students.By the 2017-18 school year, I was still the lone staff member providing antiracist professional learning, coaching, and capacity-building for some 11,000 district employees. I was responding to racist incidents and viral videos; some included hateful words and phrases like:“It’s N-Word Day.”“You have bombs in your purse.”“If you can’t speak English, then you need to go back to Mexico!”These incidents went viral on social...
"I want to utilize my life," 8th grader starts non-profit that expands to 7 countries
“If someone has a burning passion for something, they should be able to follow it, regardless of age.”. Those are the words from a young Austin area entrepreneur, named 2024 Student Hero for Williamson County by the Texas Board of Education. Arjun Sharda is a 13-year old author, speaker, and...
Sensational SEC Celebration Planned At University of Texas
In July 2021, the College sports world was shaken by the announcement that the University Of Texas and the University of Oklahoma were joining the Southeastern Conference. Texas A&M University, the lone SEC member in Texas at the time, was not thrilled about the prospect of their long-standing rivals joining. The deal, however, was sealed, and after a nail-biting three-year wait, the Longhorns and the Sooners are set to join the SEC on July 1.
Austin ISD offices, schools closed July 1-5
The first day of school for the 2024-25 school year at Austin ISD is Aug. 20. (Elle Bent/Community Impact) All Austin ISD offices and schools will be closed from July 1-5 in observance of Independence Day. What it means. The closure will impact summer meal sites across the district. District...
Texas State launches life science incubator at Round Rock campus
A new program is coming to Texas State's Round Rock campus intended to advance research and innovation in the life sciences and medical fields in the next few years, per an announcement from the university system. (Brooke Sjoberg/Community Impact) A new program is coming to Texas State University's Round Rock...
Leander ISD adopts FY 2024-25 budget with nearly $13.1M shortfall
The board of trustees unanimously passed the district's fiscal year 2024-25 budget at a June 27 meeting. (Chloe Young/Community Impact) The Leander ISD board of trustees approved the district’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget at a June 17 meeting. The approved budget includes a nearly $13.1 million shortfall in the...
Oct. 7 defining moment for UT sophomore/AEPi officer
“Oct. 7 was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” began Levi Fox (UT, class of 2027). “The horrors of that day will remain in our memories for generations to come. “However, we have to decide how it defines us. Do we get scared and...
Opinion: Affordable Childcare Now – A Community Call to Action for Travis County
Austinites have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of our youngest children and their families with effects felt both immediately and into the future. In May, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the Travis County CARES Resolution, the first step toward a November ballot measure that will provide long-term, reliable funding for child care and afterschool solutions benefiting thousands of our most vulnerable children and families. Recognizing the critical need to ensure working parents have access to high-quality affordable child care and afterschool programs, community leaders have united to form the Affordable Childcare Now coalition, a broad coalition convened by the United Way for Greater Austin to support concrete solutions in Travis County. Please join us.
School board approves hire of new district fine arts director, SRMS principal
The Liberty Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees announced the hire of Luis “Chico” Portillo, the first ever fine arts director for the district, and Nicole Hagerty, new principal of Santa Rita Middle School, at the June 17 board meeting. Luis “Chico” Portillo – District Fine Arts...
AISD renews contract with Austin Voices for family resource centers at five campuses
After a contract process that ended in April in the disqualification of both applications, the Austin school district has signed a new contract with Austin Voices for Education and Youth to run family resource centers at five campuses in North and East Austin. The Austin school board’s decision during a June 20 meeting maintains the same service provider that has been running resource centers for some of Austin’s most at-risk students and families for almost 20 years. ...
Austin-area student tries for the 't-r-o-f-e-o' at National Spanish Spelling Bee
It's three weeks into summer break, but that hasn’t stopped Luis Orlando Ruiz Medina from practicing spelling words in Spanish every day. He’s done it almost "uninterruptedly" with a list of over 1,700 words. “Ininterrumpidamente,” with 19 letters, is the longest word on that list. It's also a tricky one, since it has a double "r."
Last AISD Board Meeting This School Year Covers Budget Plan, Underperforming Students
You probably saw this coming, but it looks certain that Austin ISD will ask homeowners to vote to increase property taxes this fall. The request is baked into the 2024-25 school year budget that the district’s board of trustees approved unanimously at their June 20 meeting. The tax increase...
Steve Snell named 2024 Regional Superintendent of the Year
Steve Snell, superintendent of Liberty Hill ISD, has been named the 2024 Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 13. The Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees unanimously nominated Snell, reflecting the board’s recognition of his outstanding leadership and vision. Since he was appointed superintendent, Snell has led the district through remarkable growth and significant achievements. Under his leadership, student enrollment has doubled from 4,000 to 9,050 in just over five years.
LISD Names Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, State and Federal Programs
Leander ISD is thrilled to announce Paige Collier, an established leader within the district, as the newest Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, State and Federal Programs. “It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Paige Collier for being appointed as the Assistant Superintendent for...
Austin Community College Faculty Senate asks for 8.5% raise; college proposes 4.5%
Austin Community College employees are asking for an 8.5% across-the-board raise ― almost double ACC's proposed 4.5% raise ― to account for inflation and cost of living before the board could potentially vote on the budget July 1. “We faculty are here for our students. We’re not here for the money, but we...
Austin Community College and Texas DIR Launch Innovative Tech Apprenticeship to Tackle Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage
Forging a new path in the realm of career readiness and workforce development, Austin Community College District (ACC) in partnership with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) officially announced the kickoff of a novel apprenticeship program designed for the tech and cybersecurity domain. This announcement came during a signing event hosted on June 28 at ACC's Highland Campus, as reported by the college's newsroom. Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC's Chancellor, emphasized that the program is a transformative leap for students and the local community, stating, "This is the start of a new system that will change how we work to prepare students for a better future for them and their families."
District Advisory Committee Application Now Open for 2024–25
Leander ISD invites our community to support our students and teachers by volunteering on a district-wide or campus-based committee. To apply for one of the district advisory listed below, please complete the application by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Committees. Community-Based Accountability System (CBAS) Community Curriculum Advisory Committee (CCAC) District-wide...
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