AISD plans for staff cuts even after getting federal funding greenlight

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District said it would receive the $9 million in federal funding that was previously under extended review, according to a letter sent out by Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura.

The district expected to receive the funding July 1, before the delay. In the letter, Segura said the federal government committed to releasing the funds July 25.

In total, the U.S. Department of Education is expected to release $667 million in federal education funds to the state.

On July 21, multiple school districts, nonprofits, and teachers’ unions, including the Texas American Federation of Teachers, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for blocking the federal funding.

AISD said the funds would help continue to support programming and staff positions across the district, including multi-lingual support and after-school programs. However, the district said there would still be changes.

“While this news provides short-term stability, it also requires us to plan thoughtfully for the future, as we anticipate potential funding reductions in upcoming years,” Segura said.

The district said it would eliminate positions at the end of the fall semester in anticipation of future funding losses.

“These decisions are not made lightly, and we’re encouraged by some of our affected staff already choosing to move to campus-based positions,” Segura said.

AISD said the $9 million in funding would allow for multilingual education, ACE Austin enrichment programs and AVID programs to continue.