Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Carstarphen to Address State of the District Wednesday

Austin Independent School District Superintendent Meria Carstarphen
Photo by Jeff Heimsath for KUT News
Austin Independent School District Superintendent Meria Carstarphen

If previous years are any indication, don’t expect big surprises during Austin schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen’s State of the District address tomorrow. She is likely to talk about AISD’s efforts to improve academic performance at struggling schools and how those endeavors align with the district’s desire to better manage its 12 million square feet of facilities. 

This will also be Carstarphen’s first State of the District address since Texas lawmakers slashed $4 billion in public education funding as part of their effort to balance the state’s budget without raising taxes. The cuts obliterated $35 million in state funding for AISD this year, resulting in hundreds of layoffs.

State cuts are expected to slice $20 million from AISD's budget next school year. Meanwhile, student enrollment is forecast to grow by almost 1,000 in 2012-13.

Carstarphen delivered last year’s State of the District address from the University of Texas Alumni Center. This year, she’s scheduled to speak at a new performing arts center that opened in September at McCallum High School in North Austin.

You’ll be able to stream the State of the District address from AISD’s website starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow. For a taste of what to expect, check out AISD’s last two annual reports.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion-dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on X @KUTnathan.
Related Content