May 2026

Senior Success Story: José Ignacio and José Emilio Araujo Rodríguez (En español)

Northeast Early College High School seniors José Ignacio and José Emilio Araujo Rodríguez are twin brothers from Venezuela who turned a major life transition into a story of perseverance, connection and success. José Ignacio and José Emilio came to Austin in 2023 and started at International High School before transferring to Northeast Early College High School. Adjusting to a new country, a new school system, college-level classes and a new language wasn’t easy, but they found support from their teachers, family and friends.

Women Leading the Way event promotes confidence, empowerment in middle school girls

Since its launch last year, Women Leading the Way has cultivated a space for middle school girls to learn from accomplished women in various industries and envision their own goals for the future. Austin ISD Economic Opportunity Office Coordinator Latoya Edwards and Chief Financial Officer Katrina Montgomery, founded the leadership conference grounded in four core mission terms: Power of Engagement and Collaboration, Overcoming Obstacles, Goal Setting and Empowerment. Its inaugural 2025 cohort invited 22 students from Austin ISD Band 1 middle schools campuses.

Austin ISD teachers win big at 2026 Excellence in Education Awards (En español)

Big news from the statewide 2026 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards! Two of our very own Austin ISD educators took home top honors.

The details: Megan Vasquez from Becker Elementary, who won the Leadership Award, received $10,000 for herself and a $10,000 grant for her school. Alasin DeVeny from Joslin Elementary, who earned the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, received $25,000 for herself and a $25,000 grant for her campus. 

Important Update Regarding BLEND/Canvas Security Incident

Dear Austin ISD families and staff,

We are writing to inform you of a recent cybersecurity incident involving Instructure, the company that provides our Canvas/BLEND learning management system for grades 6-12 and staff. On Friday, May 1, Instructure alerted us that a threat actor gained unauthorized access to their systems starting on April 25, 2026.

What Happened 

Upon detecting the incident on April 29, Instructure immediately revoked the attacker's access and launched an investigation with outside forensics experts and law enforcement.