To the Austin Community,

I am proud to present to you the 2008 Annual Report of the Austin Independent School District, a document prepared to inform you about student performance data, District programs and services, and our financial status.

This report is organized according to the Board's Six Priorities which were created by Trustees to guide our efforts and assess our results. It is appropriate that we report these important facts to the community which has entrusted us with the education of its children and the wise use of its tax dollars. We take most seriously the community's charge to prepare young people to be productive citizens, and to do so in a fiscally prudent manner.

Our theme is The Urban Advantage. There is no better preparation for the complex challenges of the 21st century than living and learning in a dynamic urban environment. As this 2008 Annual Report shows, we are responding to the demands of the 21st Century with an array of services and school opportunities, working to meet the academic needs of our students as they prepare themselves for the college and career goals they set for themselves.

We are fortunate to live in a city that is a vibrant leader in the 21st Century economy. We are also fortunate that the excitement and opportunity associated with Austin have made our city a microcosm of the rich diversity that will benefit our state and nation in the future.

In this Annual Report, we have endeavored to report every type of relevant data in a clear and concise format. The report has been printed in both English and Spanish so the information is available to the growing number of Spanish-speaking individuals who live in Austin. The report will be distributed throughout our city - to key business and community leaders, the Austin Chamber, Partners in Education, the District Advisory Council, public libraries, and local realtors.

As we have in past years, the Annual Report includes a "feedback form" developed by the AISD Program Evaluation Department. The Administration will use these data to determine from reader response whether they found the publication to be "well organized," "easy to understand," and "brief" and "informative." We invite readers to fill out and return the feedback form to assist us in planning next year's report. The form is also available on our website and can be submitted electronically.

This 2007-2008 Annual Report was created through the efforts of staff from the following Administrative areas:

• The Superintendent's Office.
• The Office of Accountability.
• The Division of Education.
• The Division of Finance.
• The Office of Facilities.
• The Office of Information Systems, and
• The Office of Planning & Community Relations.

I would like to thank those staff members who had a hand in preparing this report.

I urge our citizens who will receive a copy to read through it; and I invite any citizen to view it on our website, or to request a copy of the report by contacting the Communication Services Department, 414-2414. We believe you will discover, within its pages, a great deal of important information about the Austin School District. Thank you.

Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D.
Superintendent

Download and View Report [PDF]