Austin ISD reports sharp staff and teacher retention declines; PPFT appraisal and pay changes adopted for 2022–23

Austin Independent School District administrators told the board of trustees on Oct. 13 that the district is projecting declines in staff retention and presented a set of changes to the district—s PPFT teacher appraisal and compensation system meant to bolster retention.

Brandy Hozick, interim chief of human capital, said preliminary September‑to‑September figures project a 72 percent retention rate for Title I teachers when transfers and nonteaching moves are counted and about 67.3 percent using the district—s Title I‑to‑Title I, teaching‑position methodology — an approximate 12 percentage point drop from the prior year. Hozick said overall staff retention was preliminarily projected at about 77.5 percent, roughly an 8 percent decrease from the prior year.

The numbers are lagging indicators, Hozick cautioned; official figures come from the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) and will be available in January. Still, she told trustees the figures indicate an urgent need for action on pay, workplace culture and onboarding.

Why it matters: Trustees pressed staff for concrete steps because lower retention and rising vacancies drive more work onto existing employees,…