Austin Independent School District
Address
4000 S. I-H 35 Frontage Rd ESC Region 13[1] Austin , Texas, 78704 United States
District information
Type	independent
Grades	Pre-K–12
Established	1881; 143 years ago (1881)[2]
Superintendent	Matias Segura[3]
Accreditation	accredited (2018–19)[7]
Schools	125[4]
Budget	$1.7 B (FY2019)[5]
NCES District ID	4808940[6]
Students and staff
Students	74,871[4]
Teachers	5,484.07 (FTE) (2019–20)[6]
Student–teacher ratio	24:1 (2019–20)[6]
Athletic conference	District 26 6A, District 24 5A[8]
Other information
Website	www.austinisd.org

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]

Academic achievement

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]

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 election was in 2017.^[14]

Board of Trustees

Members are elected in nonpartisan elections and serve four year terms.

List of superintendents

• John B. Winn – 1881–1894
• Prof. Thomas Green Harris – 1895–1903
• Arthur N. McCallum Sr. – 1903–1942
• Dr. Russell Lewis – 1942–1947
• Dr. J.W. Edgar – 1947–1950
• Dr. Irby B. Carruth – 1950–1970
• Dr. Jack L. Davidson – 1970–1980
• Dr. John Ellis – 1980–1990
• Dr. Gonzalo Garza (Interim) – 1990–1991
• Dr. Jim B. Hensley – 1991–1992
• Dr. Terry N. Bishop (Interim) – 1993–1994
• Dr. James Fox Jr. – 1995–1998
• A.C. Gonzalez (Interim) – 1998–1999
• Dr. Pascal D. Forgione Jr. – 1999–2009
• Dr. Meria Carstarphen – 2009–2014
• Dr. Paul Cruz – 2014–2020
• Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde – 2020–2022
• Dr. Anthony Mays (Interim) – 2022
• Matias Segura – 2023–Present

Demographics

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]

High schools

• Images of AISD High Schools
• 
  Akins Early College High School
• 
  Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders (2007-2021 campus)
• 
  Austin High School
• 
  Crockett Early College High School
• 
  LBJ Early College High School
• 
  McCallum High School
• 
  Navarro Early College High School
• 
  Northeast Early College High School
• 
  Travis Early College High School

The following high schools cover grades 9 to 12, unless otherwise noted.

Zoned high schools

Unzoned high schools

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.

Other high school programs

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.

Middle schools

• Images of AISD Middle Schools
• 
  Covington Middle School
• 
  Lively Middle School
• 
  Paredes Middle School

Zoned middle schools

Other middle school programs

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.

Elementary schools

• Images of AISD Elementary Schools
• 
  Becker Elementary School
• 
  Blackshear Elementary Fine Arts Academy
• 
  Menchaca Elementary School
• 
  Mills Elementary
• 
  St. Elmo Elementary School
• 
  Sunset Valley Elementary School
• 
  Travis Heights Elementary School
• 
  Zilker Elementary School

Facilities

Headquarters

The headquarters are at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Ben White. The 142,000-square-foot (13,200 m²) 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]

Athletic facilities

• Toney Burger Center (Football, Baseball, Track and field, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer)
• I.I. Nelson Field (Football, Baseball, Track & Field, Soccer)
• Delco Activity Center (Basketball, Volleyball)
• Ellie Noack Sports Complex (Baseball, Softball, Football, Soccer)
• House Park (Football, Soccer)

Gallery

• 
  The former Austin Independent School District headquarters