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Teachers, parents urge trustees not to cut planning periods and to protect special education services as budget talks begin
Summary
Multiple teachers and parents used the public comment period to urge the Lake Travis ISD board to preserve teacher planning time and to avoid cuts to special education and 504 services as the district considers budget reductions.
Members of the public used the board's public-comment period to press trustees to protect teacher planning time, to preserve special-education services and to scrutinize bond spending.
Why it matters: Several district speakers warned that proposed changes to teacher schedules and the removal of planning periods would worsen burnout, reduce instructional quality and make the district less competitive for recruiting and retaining teachers. Other commenters asked the board to delay or add oversight to large bond expenditures amid concerns about cost increases.
Public comments: Stephanie Hartman, who identified herself as a Lake Travis High School teacher, said a budget proposal to cut teacher planning periods down to the legal minimum would harm instruction and retention. "No business can pay employees minimum wage and still expect top-tier talent," Hartman said. She urged trustees to maintain planning time so teachers could plan, grade and communicate with families.
Alyssa Goldman, also a Lake Travis High School teacher who said she will be leaving for medical school next year, told the board that adding a class section while removing planning time would force teachers to choose between students' academic feedback and personal time. "This constant moral battle is what is leading to the vast amounts of teacher burnout all across the country," Goldman said.
Multiple parents and advocates also urged trustees to preserve services for students with disabilities. One speaker, Michelle (surname not given), described the role of a special-services teacher and parent nominations for a district's "superstar of the month" program and urged the board not to reduce funding for special education. Another speaker cited research showing early intervention improves long-term outcomes and said short-term additions to the special-education budget can reduce costs over a decade.
Bond oversight and fiscal questions: Public commentator Jennifer Fleck criticized what she called rising construction costs on bond-funded projects and asked the board to pause approvals until a bond-oversight committee is established to review spending. Fleck cited a prior elementary building and questioned higher-than-projected guarantees for a competition-gym and fine-arts addition.
What next: Trustees heard the comments as they debated capital contracts and GMPs during the same meeting. No formal vote took place on planning-time or special-education funding tonight; such decisions will be part of the district's upcoming budget process and any contract amendments related to bond projects will be tracked in later public board items.
