Austin, TX
Texas schools hoping lawmakers increase funding during legislative session
AISD budget deficit and the Texas legislature
The new legislative session starts soon. All this month, 7 On Your Side will be taking a look at some of the big issues at the state capitol. Among them is education after the legislature failed to pass a school funding measures during the last session. As a result, districts across Central Texas are finding themselves “in the red,” including Austin ISD
AUSTIN, Texas – The new legislative session starts in one week. Among the major issues facing lawmakers will be education, after the legislature failed to pass a school funding measure during the last session. Against that backdrop, districts across Central Texas are finding themselves in the red, including Austin ISD.
“In my time on the board, we have not had this much of a deficit,” said Austin ISD board president Arati Singh.
Singh is concerned about the current $92 million budget deficit, about 10% of the overall budget.
“It is tough. It’s not easy,” said SIngh.
“I am definitely concerned as a school leader,” said Melissa Rodriguez, principal of Lively Middle School.
In fact, about two-thirds of districts in Central Texas are operating in a deficit right now, and many ISD leaders point to stagnant public school funding from the state.
“There is something historic happening here that our state is choosing not to fund public education,” said Singh.
Texas: The Issue Is: School choice fight
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is confident that school choice legislation will pass during the next legislative session, but Democrats say they won’t roll over without a fight. FOX 7’s Rudy Koski talks to vocal voucher opponent State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, about the fight ahead and if there is room for common ground.
In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott’s school choice voucher plan fell short, and public school funding measures that were tied to it stalled as well, like teacher pay raises, enhanced career training for students, and raising what’s known as the “basic allotment”, the per-student amount that districts get from the state. The basic allotment has been stuck at $6,160 since 2019, despite big-time inflation since then.
“We rank near the bottom nationally in this per student funding,” said Singh. “It’s not actually based on the cost of actually educating a child.”
Singh also points to increased costs related to House Bill 3, the school safety law passed in 2023.
On top of that, Austin ISD pays out hundreds of millions of dollars in school property tax money to the state every year in what’s known as “recapture,” a way to even out the wealth among Texas districts. Last year, AISD’s payment was $699 million, the highest in the state. That amount is based on local property values.
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“Yeah, it is [unfair], because property values really don’t have a whole heck of a lot to do with the needs of students in a city,” said Singh. “Over half of our students are economically disadvantaged.”
So, with the $92 million shortfall in mind, a committee was formed, which spent the fall figuring out how to make it up over three years. That plan was presented to the board in December.
“It is difficult,” said Superintendent Matias Segura at the December 12 meeting. “Everything has an impact.”
In this current school year, the proposed cuts include things like eliminating some vacant positions, changes to technology, reorganizing departments, and reducing the number of special education vendors.
In the 2025-26 school year, the district plans to have some central office employees work from home, so it can lease space in that building, as well as changing bus routes, optimizing master schedules, and reducing portable classrooms, among other things.
AISD gives update on special education
Austin ISD leaders provided an update on its progress in meeting the requirement for special education services.
The catch?
“We don’t know yet how much of a cost reduction each of these will yield,” said Segura.
If the budget is not reduced by enough next year, that’s when district officials say the cuts will really start being felt at the school level.
“I am concerned that we would maybe have to consider increasing class sizes,” said Singh. “Cutting planning periods for our staff.”
“We have to do more with less,” said Lively Middle School Principal Melissa Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says any cuts to the arts would be very tough.
“Our students absolutely love participating in music, art, theater, guitar, orchestra. They are motivated by that,” said Rodriguez. “So if we take that from them, we’re really taking a big part of what they love.
Some parents and teachers are urging caution.
“I’m confused about why you would rush to vote on a budget when we don’t yet know what will come out of the legislative session,” said Tracy Dunlap, a teacher at Maplewood Elementary School, at the November 21 AISD board meeting.
Abbott moves even closer to passing school vouchers
Election night brought Texas Gov. Greg Abbott another step closer to getting his school choice plans passed, allowing taxpayer dollars to help parents pay for private school tuition.
But, as all this happens, some are opening up their pocketbooks to help.
“People who reach out to us and say ‘I’m seeing what’s happening to public schools and I care and I want to do something to support it,’” said Michelle Wallis, executive director of the Austin Education Fund.
“The work that we’re doing through the Austin Ed Fund feels even more critical now,” said Wallis. “We funded 66 projects across Austin to the tune of about $450,000 this year.”
Still, the district will need much more to get out of the current hole. Recent comments from Gov. Greg Abbott about the upcoming session has some people feeling optimistic.
“We will fully fund public schools in the state of Texas. We will provide teacher pay raises,” Abbott said in November.
Austin ISD listed recapture reform among its legislative priorities. But for Singh, boosting the basic allotment will be the real game-changer.
“We really need the state to step up,” said Singh.
Austin’s budget deficit would be even higher if not for $30 million in cuts that were made at the central office over the summer, including 12 layoffs, as well as $20 million from the passage of Proposition A by voters in November.
The upcoming round of cuts is expected to be finalized by the school board in the coming weeks.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s John Krinjak
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) received a $10,000 donation and 30 pet beds on Thursday.
The donation was from Robert Thiele, an Amazon delivery driver and owner of Clark Courier Services, which was named in honor of his late bulldog, Clark, who passed away this spring after a battle with cancer.
“I named Clark Courier Services after Clark because just like our drivers, he delivered smiles every single day. In a world full of best friends, Clark was the bestest,” said Thiele.
According to Amazon, the donated pet beds were given a second life through Amazon Re:Turn, which repurposes textiles from customer returns that could not be resold or donated.
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Amazon delivers $10,000 donation and pet beds to APA! (KXAN photo/Tim Holcomb)
As a surprise for Thiele, APA! unveiled memorial plaques dedicated to Clark on shelter kennels, which were inscribed with his name and the words “forever delivering.”
“Our Delivery Service Partners are local, small business owners embedded in the communities they serve. Robert’s been delivering in Austin for nearly seven years, and he’s not just moving packages. He’s showing up for the people, the pets, and the neighborhoods around him. That’s what this program is about,” said Emma Crowley, Amazon spokesperson. “Today, we got to give a little back to someone who has and will continue to give so much to others.”
Almost one year ago today, the Texas Longhorns found themselves in the losers’ bracket of their own regional, falling to the No. 3 seed UTSA Roadrunners in the 2025 Austin Regional.
For just a brief moment, it looked as if history was going to repeat itself once again, as the No. 3-seeded Tarleton State Texans got another chance at an upset, beating the Longhorns back in the regular season, 6-1, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
But today, history was not going to repeat itself — the team that the Texans saw in the regular season was a different animal than the iteration in the winners’ bracket. Under another furious day at the plate for Texas, and an outstanding night on the mound for Dylan Volantis, Texas was not going to fall into the losers’ bracket for a second consecutive year.
“Obviously that guy on the mound, he’s one of the best pitchers, if not the best pitcher in college baseball for a reason,” said Tarleton State head coach Fuller Smith about Volantis. “We didn’t do a very good job, and I don’t know if we would beat anybody tonight, to be honest.”
Longhorns Look Unstoppable
If the past two days proved anything, Texas is playing its best baseball at the most crucial time of the season — in all three fronts of the game.
After a poor showing in the Southeastern Conference tournament by the Longhorns’ top three hitters. Aiden Robbins, Carson Tinney, and Anthony Pack Jr. have carried the brunt of the Texas offense in the postseason.
In the second inning alone, the trio rocketed three straight home runs to put the Texans down an early 6-0 hole, a deficit they would not come out of.
“I remember when I stepped on home plate [Anthony] Pack Jr. greeted me at home,” Tinney said. I looked at him, I was like, ‘It’s your turn now.’ And then two pitches later, he sent one out.”
Defensively, the Longhorns’ outfield, which struggled trying to find the right combination, has finally found the right grouping in Robbins, Pack Jr., and Dariyan Pendergrass.
Robbins and Pendergrass both were able to come up with deep fly ball grabs in the past two games. In the infield, missing core member Ethan Mendoza at second base, nonetheless, has yet to skip a beat.
“Pendergrass is a pretty veteran player, he’s been around the block a few times in college baseball,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Aiden has been a great teammate — Pack [Jr.] has improved greatly over the course of time.”
However, the real star of the regional so far has been the dominance on the mound from starters Luke Harrison and Volantis.
In the regional defining game, Volantis had no issue tossing up the Tarleton State order, who found great success against UC-Santa Barbara in the opening game. The sophomore pitcher lasted 6.2 innings, tossing seven strikeouts and allowing just three hits on the night.
With the giant lead by the time Volantis was pulled in the sixth inning, the Longhorns still have not used any of their premier relief arms in this regional.
“Those two innings were definitely helpful [in the SEC Tournament],” Volnatis said. “I definitely could have done the same without those two innings today.”
Texas now awaits a third rematch with Tarleton State or UC Santa Barbara and will not have to face either of their premier arms — notably Guachos pitcher Jackson Flora, a surefire first-round selection in this year’s MLB Draft.
The Longhorns will roll with Ruger Riojas tomorrow night and likely unload its best arms who have not seen action since the final regular season series against Missouri to seal up their first regional victory in three seasons.
“It’s always good to stay in the winner’s bracket and avoid those moments, but we haven’t won anything yet. We won two games,” Schlossnagle said. “I’m certainly excited about how we played to this point and yes, I’m glad we don’t have to play two tomorrow, but the tournament’s not over.”
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AUSTIN, Texas — One person is dead but has not been identified after the Austin Police Department responded to the scene of a deceased person call in South Austin Saturday afternoon.
According to officials, a deceased person was located in a parking lot just at around 12:25 p.m. at the 4400 Block of Pack Saddle Pass after officers responded to a check welfare urgent call.
The victim was pronounced deceased at 12:36 p.m. The incident is being investigated as a suspicious death, it is not being investigated as a homicide.
ALSO: I-35 frontage road at Williams Drive reopens after rollover crash with serious injuries
The identity of the victim is still unknown, and the age and sex of the victim has not been released.
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Anyone with information that could help the investigation is encouraged to call the APD homicide unit at 512-477-3588 or APD Crimestoppers at 512-472-8477.
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