3 takeaways from the Jan. 12 Austin school board meeting
Teacher pay raises topped the Austin school board's priorities as staff opened discussions for the 2023-24 school year budget Thursday night.
Staff, board members and residents have been calling for months for increases to teachers' pay amid employee retention issues.
Austin district staff proposed a minimum 5% raise for teachers, which would increase starting salaries from $52,191 to $54,801.
Board Vice President Kevin Foster wanted a more aggressive approach to raising pay, and suggested the district should eventually strive to start teachers at a $70,000 salary.
“I’m interested in a thorough reimagining that some places around the country have done,” Foster said. “They’re outliers, but it’s possible.”
Board members also are seeking pay increases for campus support staff, such as custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria workers.
They also asked staff to focus on special education spending, non-salary benefits for teachers and summer school programs.
Superintendent search
The board at its Jan. 25 meeting plans to hire a firm to search for a new permanent superintendent, board member Noelita Lugo said during Thursday’s meeting.
Five search firms submitted proposals to the district, she said. A subcommittee of board members plans to review and interview the firms, then make a recommendation to the board, she said.
The Austin district was left searching for a superintendent after its previous leader, Stephanie Elizalde, left in June to become the Dallas district's superintendent. Anthony Mays served as interim superintendent from June through December, when he left to lead the Alief district near Houston.
The board in December tapped Matias Segura, chief of operations, to lead the district until it hires a permanent superintendent.
The board wants the search firm to begin looking for a new superintendent by February and wants the new schools chief to start by this summer.
Calendar changes
District staff has proposed several changes to the 2023-24 academic calendar that would give students a day off for holidays like the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur and Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
Staff moved around other days students typically have off to free up these holidays, said Jacob Reach, chief of governmental relations and board services.
Board members will need to consider some community concerns about the district scheduling parent-teacher conferences for elementary students on Yom Kippur, Reach said.
Other holidays the district is considering giving students time off include Indigenous Peoples Day and Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan in Islam.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin school district: Teacher pay raises among budget priorities
