Austin Independent School District (AISD) is a school district based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1881,[2] the district serves most of the City of Austin, the neighboring municipalities of Sunset Valley and San Leanna, and unincorporated areas in Travis County (including Manchaca). The district operates 116 schools including 78 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, and 17 high schools.[9]As of 2013[update], AISD covers 54.1% of the City of Austin by area and serves 73.5% of its residents.[10]
In 2018-19, the school district was rated a B by the Texas Education Agency (TEA.)[11] No state accountability ratings were given to districts for the 2019–20 and 2020-21 school years. Prior to the 2011-12 school year, school districts in Texas could receive one of four possible rankings from the Texas Education Agency: Exemplary (the highest possible ranking), Recognized, Academically Acceptable, and Academically Unacceptable (the lowest possible ranking). For the 2012-13 school year, the TEA moved to a Pass/Fail system. In 2017, the TEA adopted an A-F accountability system.[12]
Historical district TEA accountability ratings
School Year
Rating
2021-22
B
2020-21
Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster
2019-20
Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster
2018-19
B
2017-18
B
2016-17
Met Standard
2015-16
Met Standard
2014-15
Met Standard
2013-14
Met Standard
2012-13
Met Standard
2011-12
Not Rated
2010-11
Academically Acceptable
2009-10
Academically Acceptable
2008-09
Academically Acceptable
2007-08
Academically Acceptable
2006-07
Academically Acceptable
2005-06
Academically Acceptable
2004-05
Academically Acceptable
2003-04
Academically Acceptable
Finances
Like other Texas public school districts, AISD is funded through a combination of local property taxes, general state revenues (such as occupation taxes, Texas Lottery profits, and returns from the Permanent School Fund), and federal education funds.[13] The district also funds some facilities construction and improvements through the issuance of debt by bond elections; AISD's most recent bond elections have been held in 2013, 2017, and 2022.[14]
Board of Trustees
Members are elected in nonpartisan elections and serve four year terms. Positions 1-7 are elected in single-member districts, while positions 8 and 9 are elected at-large.[15]
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In the 1970s white flight to Westlake and other suburbs of Austin that were majority white began. In 1970 the student body of AISD was 65% non-Hispanic (Anglo) white.[16] In the late 1970s the student body was 57% non-Hispanic white, 26% Hispanic and Latino, and 15% African-American.[17] Until 1978 AISD categorized Hispanics and Latinos as "white" so they could integrate them with African-Americans while leaving non-Hispanic whites out of integration. That year it was forced to integrate Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites.[18] In 2000 the student body of AISD was 37% non-Hispanic white.[16] The Hispanic student population peaked in 2011, at 52,398 students.[19] As of the 2016-17 school year, there are 48,386 Hispanic students, 22,761 non-Hispanic white students, and 6,578 African-American students.[19]
On November 18, 2019 the AISD board of Trustees voted 6-3 in favor of a plan closing four elementary schools. This vote was criticized by many, including AISD Chief Equity Officer, Dr. Hawley who stated that the "map that you have of the closures is a map of what 21st century racism looks like. ... Our process for selecting schools was flawed. It was inequitable." The six Trustees who voted to close the schools were Cindy Anderson, Amber Elenz, Geronimo Rodriguez, Jayme Mathias, Yasmin Wagner and Kristen Ashy.[20]
The Ann Richards School, Garza Independence High School, and LASA have independent campuses, but International High School shares a campus with Northeast Early College High School.
The Graduation Preparatory Academies at Navarro and Travis Early College High Schools are officially listed as separate schools from their home campuses, but they are housed within the same building and share many programs.
Host Campus
Other programs
McCallum High School
McCallum Fine Arts Academy
Navarro Early College High School
Graduation Preparatory Academy at Navarro ECHS
Travis Early College High School
Graduation Preparatory Academy
Travis Institute of Hospitality & Culinary Arts
Middle schools
Chronological founding of zoned middle school campuses (1886-1999)
1886
Lively Middle School
1930
Kealing Middle School
1953
O. Henry Middle School
1955
Lamar Middle School
1958
Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy
1961
Burnet Middle School
1966
Martin Middle School
1967
Murchison Middle School
1968
Webb Middle School
1972
Bedichek Middle School
1973
Dobie Middle School
1986
Covington Middle School
1987
Mendez Middle School
1993
Bailey Middle School
1999
Small Middle School
Chronological founding of zoned middle school campuses (2000-present)
The Kealing and Lively magnet programs accept students from across AISD on a basis of academic record and provide them with a more advanced program. The magnet programs are housed in their respective schools, but provide some different classes to their students.
Host Campus
Other programs
Kealing Middle School
Kealing Magnet Program
Lively Middle School
Lively Humanities and Law Magnet for International Studies
The headquarters are at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Ben White. The 142,000-square-foot (13,200m2) structure has nine stories.[61]
For a period prior to 1989, the Austin ISD headquarters were on Guadalupe Street, adjacent to the Texas Department of Public Safety headquarters. In 1989, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill allowing DPS to acquire the former Austin ISD headquarters.[62] That building was known as the Irby B. Carruth Administration Building.[63]
From circa 1994 to 2019, the headquarters were at the Carruth Administration Center, on 1111 West Sixth Street. That building was sold, along with another AISD facility, in 2017.[61] The Schlosser Development Corporation purchased the West Sixth facility.[64] The district used the money from those sales to buy the current headquarters. From around July to September 2019 the headquarters moved to the current location. The employees who went to the current headquarters came from those two sold properties and one other property.[61]
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