Electrifying News – Summer Programs Begin
Summer programs have begun! I was excited to see our youngest and our oldest summer students at registration yesterday and look forward to seeing them around campus, too. If you’re missing our comp program students, the final “A Sense of Texas” podcast episode of the school year was published last week, and it focuses on the Spring Play. Check it out online to hear staff and students highlight their work on Disney’s Moana, Jr.
You may have heard the legislative session ended last week, which means our budget was finalized for the next two years starting September 1st. Unfortunately, we did not receive funding for salary increases or shift differentials as requested for classified staff or the requested stipend for contract staff. We did receive additional funding to fix the past two year budget deficit, so we’ll look for opportunities to offer merit within the upcoming fiscal year. We’re awaiting updates from Austin ISD and the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) to determine potential changes for our contract employees related to school funding legislation as well as impacts of HB2.
We are thankful to receive increased funding to replace the SHARS deficit, for safety and security, technology replacement and refreshes, a few new vehicles, three new positions in Outreach, and increased funding for the university programs to support TSVI and COMS in training. Classified staff salary increases were our priority items and will continue to be as we prepare for the next session and continue our strategic planning.
It’s never too soon to save the date for our all-staff Welcome Back. You’ll hear from your department leads regarding training and meetings, but please plan to join me on Monday, August 11th, at 10:00a for a brief address and the awarding of our service pins. We’ll have coffee and treats that morning and a catered lunch around noon. More details to come.
Have a great week!
Emily Coleman, Superintendent