Special Education

The Texas Education Agency stepped in after an investigation found the district repeatedly failed to serve students with disabilities as required by state and federal law.

The Texas Education Agency has proposed appointing at least one monitor to track the district's progress. If AISD does not meet certain benchmarks, the agency could still appoint one or more conservators.

The Texas Education Agency earlier this year proposed a special education conservatorship, largely because of Austin ISD's backlog of special education evaluations. But now state education officials are offering the district a different plan.

The Texas Education Agency announced last month it wanted to install conservators to oversee special education services in the district. The proposal came after an investigation that found AISD repeatedly failed to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Austin ISD has struggled to address a backlog of special education evaluations, leaving many students without critical services. And, just as the district began rolling out a plan to make things better, the Texas Education Agency announced plans for state oversight.

The Texas Education Agency announced last week it wants to install a management team to oversee AISD’s special education department, citing systemic issues. The district's school board has until mid-April to request a review of the agency’s proposed conservatorship.

The Texas Education Agency has been investigating the school district for years because it hasn't been evaluating students within a legally required timeframe. TEA wants to install a management team in the special ed department to come up with a plan to fix this problem.

The TEA recommended the move, citing the district’s failures serving special education students. The announcement comes two weeks after the agency appointed a board of managers to oversee Houston ISD.

Disability Rights Texas first filed a lawsuit against Austin ISD over delayed evaluations for special education services in 2021. The group sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency on Thursday calling for an investigation into the ongoing backlog.

Earlier this year, 800 students were waiting to be evaluated. The district's new administration gave AISD a July 1 deadline to clear the backlog.