Grievances and Complaints

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Types of Grievances and Complaints

Whenever feasible, grievances/complaints should be resolved at the lowest possible administrative level.

Students & Parents/Guardians

If you have concerns or issues to resolve at the school level, please follow the official procedures outlined in Board Policy FNG (Local).

Important: Some topics are governed by specific policies or procedures that may alter the standard complaint process or require a different approach. We encourage all parents and guardians to carefully review the applicable policies before proceeding.

Employees

Employees seeking to file a complaint or grievance related to employment matters should use the official forms and follow the process outlined in Board Policy DGBA (Local).

Public

Community members who wish to file a complaint regarding district policies, procedures, or operations should refer to Board Policy GF (Local).

Procedures for Grievances and Complaints

All grievances must be submitted either by email to grievances@austinisd.org or mailed/hand-delivered to Austin ISD Headquarters at 4000 S. IH 35, Austin, Texas 78704. Once received, the grievance will be forwarded to the appropriate administrator at the designated level.

Informal Resolution:

From the date the grievant/complainant knew or should have known of the concern, there is a 30-day period for students and parents/guardians under FNG (Local), and a 15-day period for employees and the public under GF (Local) and DGBA (Local), during which the grievant/complainant must inform the employee’s supervisor/principal of the concern and attempt an informal resolution. If there is no informal resolution after 30 days, no later than the 30th day from the date the grievant/complainant knew or should have known of the concern, the grievance/complaint must be filed. If the grievance/complaint is filed after the 30th day, it is untimely and shall be considered concluded.

Level I Grievance 

The employee/parent or student shall file a Level One complaint with the campus principal or lowest level administrator who has the authority to remedy the alleged problem. If documented attempts to resolve the issue with the principal have been unsuccessful, the employee/parent or student may file a Level One complaint with the campus principal's direct supervisor.

Level II and III Grievance 

A complainant may appeal the decision from the previous level by submitting an appeal to the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee within ten (10) days of receiving the prior response. For students and parents, the final level of appeal—Level III—is to the Board of Trustees.

Level IV - Employees Only [DGBA]

An employee may appeal the Level III decision to the Board of Trustees by submitting an appeal within ten (10) days of receiving the Level III response.