The Austin ISD Board of Trustees adopted a $1.6 billion budget.

The budget is focused on supporting strategic priorities for safety, early literacy, new programming to reinvent the urban education school experience and customer service.

Funding priorities include:

• Safety and security investments in new officers, emergency operations and emergency notifications and salary adjustments for officer personnel totaling more than $1.7 million.
• A 1.5 percent across-the-board salary increase for employees for a general fund cost of $8.1 million and mitigating increases to the employee health plan.

"Austin ISD will continue to prepare students for college, career and life as we enhance school security and reinforce key academic programs to encourage student success," said Superintendent Paul Cruz. "I am proud to work with our board of trustees and staff to adopt a fiscally responsible budget that will further our goal to reinvent the urban school experience."

This year, AISD is projected to send more than half of every M&O tax dollar collected to the state - a total of $670 million.

"Austin ISD remains committed to serving the students, staff and community despite the array of budgetary constraints we face due to rising inflationary costs beyond our control, revenue losses, and the budget pressures mounting from our ballooning recapture payments," said Chief Business Operations Officer Nicole Conley. "As our legislators convene this winter, we will continue our efforts in encouraging them to implement solutions to fix the school finance system so this can become one of our last years we are required to pass a deficit budget. Nevertheless, we will do what is needed to serve as the cornerstone of our community and provide the necessary educational services to our AISD students and families."