Teachers, parents and students flood Austin ISD public comment urging preservation of planning time, stipends and neighborhood schools

Dozens of in-person and recorded public comments dominated the May 7 Austin ISD information session, with teachers, parents and students urging the board to protect planning time and stipends and to halt proposed school moves or closures.

Educators from multiple campuses, many identified as members of Education Austin, warned that reclassifying teachers into “foundational” and “non‑foundational” categories and moving many elective and fine‑arts teachers to a seven‑of‑eight teaching schedule would eliminate significant planning time, increase burnout and risk losing specialized staff. A range of teachers — art, band, choir, CTE and fine‑arts educators — described multiple preps and larger class sizes that make reduced planning time particularly harmful.

Parents and staff repeatedly pressed trustees to protect stipends that support bilingual providers and special-education staff, arguing that reductions would lead to turnover, delays in evaluations and higher long‑term costs. Several callers tied stipend protections to the district’s recent recovery from TEA oversight, saying stability for bilingual and LSSP/SLP staff remains fragile.

Community members and parents also concentrated their comments on the proposed plan affecting Blackshere Elementary (variously referred to as “Black Share” in testimony), saying the announced mid‑year move or closure would dismantle the school’s identity and that the community’s previously stated preference to remain at the campus has been ignored. Speakers asked the board to include Blackshere in boundary discussions and to avoid using administrative language to mask closure decisions.

Trustees acknowledged the volume of public input and invited continued engagement through advisory committees and scheduled listening sessions as staff refine the recommended budget.