Austin ISD leaders told convocation attendees the district is defining which programs are non‑negotiable and will be funded from the general operating budget rather than left to unstable grant streams.

Superintendent Matias Segura said the district has intentionally identified “nonnegotiables” — for example, planning time and instructional coaches — and is working with trustees to define the baseline program that every campus should maintain.

The nut graf: with uncertain external revenues, district leadership said they will prioritize recurring funding for services the district considers essential and will make tradeoffs elsewhere rather than erode core supports such as planning time and librarians on campus.

Segura said the district had discussions in the spring about protecting planning time and that the decision to treat certain services as baseline means budget adjustments elsewhere. He warned that lower-cost models exist but “don’t align with our values,” and said the work with the board includes consolidations, boundary changes and other budget actions so leaders can fund their baseline commitments.

Segura also said the district will be transparent about cuts and program adjustments, and that the next six weeks will show progress on those conversations following a recent trustees’ work session.

On resource targeting, Segura explained that the Support and Resource Index (SRI) bands campuses by need; SRI influences staffing and allocation conversations so schools with greater need receive extra support. He emphasized the district’s goal is to avoid being “an inch deep and a mile wide” in programming.

District staff and trustees did not present a finalized budget at the convocation; leaders said the work is ongoing and will be reported to staff and trustees before or early in the school year.