TEA allows for alternative to state intervention for Austin ISD special education department
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Education Agency granted a request from the Austin Independent School District on Wednesday for less severe state intervention in the district’s special education services, according to AISD officials.
The TEA announced in March its recommendation for a state-appointed management team to direct the operations of the Austin ISD special education department. The team would be able to make decisions for the district, as it relates to special education.
The recommendations came after the TEA released a report finding the district repeatedly missed strict state and federal deadlines on evaluating students suspected of needing special education services.
The report found the district had in some cases waited up to nine months to evaluate students.
The district appealed TEA’s recommendation in April 2023, requesting instead the state appoint a monitor. A monitor, according to the TEA, would only be able to report activities of the board of trustees or the superintendent to the state.
According to AISD Superintendent Matias Segura, TEA officials presented an alternative Wednesday to the state-appointed management team. During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, he would not share many details of this new TEA plan, saying it would be discussed behind closed doors at Thursday's school board meeting.
“We appreciate that TEA acknowledges our progress toward implementing sustainable, transformative improvements to special education," Segura said in a statement. "My leadership team and our board of trustees will review this proposal carefully in the days ahead.”
Arati Singh, president of Austin ISD's board of trustees, said Wednesday district leaders have yet to determine their response to the state's latest proposal. She said the TEA will require board members to vote on the plan by Sept. 29 at the latest.
The district said since January it’s been implementing an aggressive plan for evaluating students quicker than in years past. The district said it decreased its pending evaluations by 35% since January 2023 – and tripled the number of staff who can implement the evaluations.