Latest news with #AustinIndependentSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Travis County DA: ‘Insufficient evidence' to charge Austin ISD executive for tampering
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to charge a long-time Austin Independent School District executive with tampering with government records. In a court record filed on Wednesday, the Travis County District Attorney's Office stated that it would not file charges. In February, Austin Independent School District investigators accused Amie Ortiz, 40, of deleting information police requested while she was working as the district's director of talent strategy. Ortiz has been an AISD employee for over 17 years, serving in both teaching and executive roles. She has been on administrative leave from the district since September 2024. Ortiz's attorney, Brian Roark, stated Ortiz was not aware she was the target of any investigation. Austin ISD executive charged with tampering with government records The charge Ortiz faced stemmed from an investigation into a different employee who was suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of gift cards. According to investigators, Ortiz reported that more than $65,000 worth of district gift cards owned by the school district were missing. She also reported issues with misuse of the cards and lack of documentation. The gift cards were purchased and issued through AISD's insurance carrier as a part of the district's employee wellness program, according to district officials and an affidavit. Ortiz had created an internal tracking system on Google Sheets for the gift cards, which documented the gift card vendor, amount, quantity, the recipient of the card, the reason for releasing the card, and the date of release. According to investigators, multiple people could access the log. Former Austin ISD official accused of theft, using district gift cards for personal buys But later, investigators accused Ortiz of 'intentionally manipulating' that log. Detectives alleged that the day after they responded to the theft report, Ortiz deleted a portion of the gift card log totaling more than $36,250 and altered the initials next to several entries. The log included an inventory from a January 2024 bulk order of $135,000 worth of gift cards, as well as inventory from another set of gift cards found in a storage cabinet over the summer, totaling $36,250, according to the affidavit. Ortiz's attorney stated that Ortiz made the changes because she believed the detectives wanted her to provide an accurate account of the gift cards from the January 2024 bulk order of gift cards. Ortiz's attorney said she was under the impression that the gift cards found in the storage cabinet were not part of the January bulk order and 'had already been given to campuses for staff wellness' over the summer. Former Austin ISD executive accused of stealing thousands from district Ortiz's attorney also said that at some point, the safe containing the gift cards was moved to a different person's office, and Ortiz changed the initials to indicate that the inventory entries were made when the safe was in another person's office. 'Every action she took, statement made, and document she provided was accurate and true to the extent of her knowledge and understanding at that time. She never intentionally provided any false information,' Roark said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
AISD student dies following ‘8th grade celebration,' letter says
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin Independent School District student is dead following an eighth grade celebration that happened on Wednesday, Covington Middle School Principal Cedric Maddox said in a letter to the campus community Thursday. The campus identified the student as Vadir Gonzalez-Arias, and the letter said he 'passed away [Thursday] morning due to complications related to the incident at the 8th-grade celebration.' On Wednesday, the Austin Fire Department told KXAN in a statement it responded to a medical emergency at the pool at Dick Nichols Park. The agency said Austin Parks and Recreation Department lifeguards performed initial life-saving measures. Austin-Travis County EMS medics said they transported the child to the hospital on Wednesday. 'Vadir was kind, caring, and approached each day with a positive attitude and a willingness to do what was asked of him. He treated his peers and teachers with genuine respect and made those around him feel seen and appreciated,' the letter said Thursday. The letter went on to say the school will be open as a counseling center on Friday. Students can come in any time between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Both English and Spanish speaking counselors will be at the campus to 'support students individually or in small groups.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘In the dark': Bills tracking impact of Texas' truancy courts on kids not likely to pass
Editor's Note: The video at the top of the story is from our original reporting on a lack of truancy court data. AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District released data showing how often it referred kids to truancy court this school year, revealing a significant decline from the previous year. Austin ISD is the largest school district in Central Texas, and the fight for its truancy data highlights how difficult it can be to understand the scope of Texas' truancy system without accessible data. In November, our investigative team discovered that, despite school districts sending thousands of children to court for truancy each year, no state agency is tracking individual district referral trends or student outcomes in court. The investigation sparked legislation that would create a uniform truancy tracking system across the state, but the bill is stalled in committee and not likely to pass this session. Our investigative team requested Austin ISD's truancy data in June 2024. Nine months after our initial request, and after several check-ins, the district's public information office provided an answer: As of March 1, the district referred 69 children to truancy court in the 2024-25 school year. The public information office did not share the count from previous school years, as we requested, but in an interview, the district's new Attendance Director, Carla De La Rosa, explained that the year before, the district referred five times more students to court for truancy – 364. De La Rosa said the district decreased its truancy referrals and reformed its process after getting feedback last summer from the justices of the peace, who handle their cases. Individual Austin ISD campuses are responsible for initiating prevention measures when students have accumulated 3 unexcused absences within six months. The campuses are also responsible for filing truant conduct complaints against students, but according to De La Rosa, the campus leaders must initiate prevention measures for the student before referring a student to court. De La Rosa said this year, the district began requiring campuses to do a 'root cause analysis' as a part of its prevention measures. It also instituted a checklist for campuses seeking to refer kids to court, which is screened by her office. Other judges previously told KXAN the court must dismiss cases in instances where the student is missing school because they are homeless, pregnant or have a disability. 'If they are not providing all that information that says we've done everything we possibly can, we've engaged in every way possible way, then we are sending it back and we're not letting them submit for truancy,' De La Rosa said. 12,000+ Texas kids sent to court for missing class, no one tracks what happens next 'I think it has been effective,' De La Rosa said. 'I think we have had less cases turned away from our [Justices of the Peace], and I think it helps us focus and really helps as a reminder to our campuses: have you done everything you can?' Following KXAN's investigation, State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed legislation to add numerous data points for the Office of Court Administration to collect. Zaffirini's measure, Senate Bill 1850, would require the OCA to gather and post a multitude of information showing school districts' and courts' numbers of truancy referrals and how they were handled, judgments against students, remedial orders broken down by type, driver's license suspensions and more. The legislation would also require tracking of contempt of court charges and fines collected. KXAN profiled the case of Nathaniel Karle, a Georgetown High School student who was sent to court over excessive absences in 2024, disenrolled, and given the option to finish schooling through a G.E.D. program or homeschool. Nathaniel missed dozens of school days, opting to stay home out of fear he could get a visit from his father who had been charged with sexual assault but was not in jail at the time, Nathaniel and his mother told KXAN. KXAN spoke with several parents of students sent to truancy court in Central Texas. We sat and watched more than a dozen truancy cases handled in justice of the peace and municipal court in Burnet and Travis counties. In most of those cases, KXAN found, the causes of truancy were complicated, personal and often traced back to family and health issues that students couldn't control. To get a better understanding of how truancy cases were playing out, KXAN submitted over 200 public information requests to school districts, municipal courts and justice of the peace offices. From the courts, we asked for details of orders – such as how many students were ordered to get finish high school through a G.E.D. program. From school districts, we sought records on outcomes. Neither the courts, nor the school districts, nor the Texas Education Agency could provide a clear picture of how the thousands of students sent to truancy court have fared in the system. Zaffirini's bill hasn't budged since being referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee in early March, so it is unlikely to pass this legislative session. There are, however, other bills that have moved further in the legislative process that could affect Texas' truancy system. 'The consequences of the Legislature not creating a uniform truancy tracking system include our remaining in the dark about how truancy cases are handled across Texas and our continuing to lack the tools to evaluate what's working,' Zaffirini said in a statement. Inside the Investigation: Texas bill could unlock 'mystery' of what happens to students in truancy court De La Rosa said the data would go a long way for school districts that don't always know the result of truancy hearings. 'Sometimes the judge is very clear, and we know, and we can document what the [court] order was, but sometimes we don't have the follow-up information about what is happening,' De La Rosa said. House Bill 2947, authored by Don McLaughlin, R-Uvalde, would change the rules governing how school districts handle students prior to referring them to truancy court. Currently, school districts must use truancy prevention measures before referring a student to court. Truancy prevention measures are policies districts use to identify students with absence problems and potentially provide additional services or counseling. The prevention measures also recognize students who don't have to be sent to court, like those who are pregnant, in foster care, homeless or their household's primary breadwinner, according to TEA. McLaughlin's bill would allow districts to forgo those prevention measures after they've been used once on a student. McLaughlin, the former mayor of Uvalde, told KXAN he authored the bill in part because he saw truancy as a major problem in his hometown's school district. 'Not that I want to penalize anybody or make criminals out of anybody, but, if there is no accountability, you don't get kids to comply,' McLaughlin told KXAN. 'Most of these kids' parents probably don't even know they are not at school.' His bill also caps fines against parents at $100 for the crime of contributing to nonattendance. Courts would also have to dismiss the charge if a parent can show their student reached 21 years of age, graduated, got an equivalent high school diploma or enlisted in the military. Lawmakers to examine Texas truancy data collection after KXAN investigation In 2015, the Texas Legislature overhauled truancy punishments by decriminalizing it and swapping criminal penalties with civil ones. McLaughlin said Texas 'most certainly' needs to track truancy outcomes since those changes. 'There is no statewide tracking on it at all. So, we don't know the results,' he said. 'What we have seen right now with what we put in place in 2015, it is not working.' To that end, his measure requires school districts to submit attendance reports to TEA showing a variety of campus and grade-level data, such as the number of students who received truancy prevention measures, were referred to court, had over 10 unexcused absences, and the number of parents that school districts filed a complaint against for contributing to nonattendance. At an early April hearing on McLaughlin's bill, representatives of three police unions and the Texas Association of School Boards registered in favor of the measure. Opposing the bill were individuals from the Texas Civil Rights Project, National Association of Social Workers, Texas Association of School Psychologists and Texas Center for Justice and Equity. 'To have this bill take away the opportunity to include more truancy prevention measures after that first attempt feels very harmful for us,' Texas Appleseed's Education Justice Project Director Andrew Hairston told lawmakers on April 3 during a public hearing. McLaughlin's bill passed the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee with a vote of 6-5. As of May 14, the measure was awaiting consideration by the full House. Senate Bill 570 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, would require schools to adopt an attendance policy. Under the bill, schools must inform parents of the policy and the repercussions of truancy. Parents would also be alerted to student absences. Bettencourt's legislation would also require schools to hold meetings with students at risk of 'becoming truant' and conduct a home visit if a parent fails to attend those meetings. Additionally, the bill requires schools to create guidelines to identify students needing support and provide services to address their absenteeism. Many school districts that KXAN spoke with described already having attendance policies that address truancy, utilizing home visits and notification systems for parents and students who are approaching an excessive number of unexcused absences. The bill does not require the school or truancy courts to collect or report any additional data on the students referred to court for truant conduct. '[My bill] focused on how to get school back into the business of asking about truancy. Allowing them to literally knock on a door if they need to find out where the parents are, being able to bring the parents into the schools to have a discussion,' Bettencourt told KXAN. Bettencourt's bill passed the full Senate and was referred to the House Public Education Committee in late April. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Girls flag football kicks off at Austin public schools
The Austin Independent School District is hosting its inaugural girls flag football tournament this weekend, with the support of the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott. Why it matters: Women's sports are growing in Austin, from soccer to rugby to flag football. The big picture: Texas' University Interscholastic League (UIL) doesn't formally consider flag football a high school sport, but it has grown nationwide as another option for female athletes. This year, the NCAA's Atlantic East Conference introduced women's flag football. Men's and women's flag football will also debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Austin-based Concordia University Texas launched a varsity women's flag football team in the fall. What they're saying: "Football has given me so much. Now, as a 'Girl Dad' myself, I want to thank the girls for paving the way today, and for breaking barriers to grow the game," Prescott said in a statement earlier this year announcing the Cowboys' partnership with AISD and other Texas public school districts. Zoom out: The NFL has been working since 2016 to encourage more girls to play flag football. It is now a varsity sport in 14 states and at more than 50 colleges and universities, per the Cowboys. UIL has said more schools need to establish programs for the league to consider sanctioning the sport in Texas. Zoom in: The Houston Texans earlier this year announced partnerships with Round Rock ISD and Pflugerville ISD to support girls flag football programs. 📍 If you go: Squads from a dozen AISD high schools will compete today and tomorrow, starting at 5:30pm at the Toney Burger Athletic Center in South Austin. Admission is free.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Undercover interview' leads to Texas AG investigation into Austin ISD
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the Austin Independent School District after his office said it was made aware of a claim that top officials 'implemented an unwritten policy of developing and teaching curricula in the (district) in violation of state law prohibiting instruction on critical race theory (CRT) and related topics,' a court document said. Texas Legislature bans critical race theory from classrooms Critical race theory is a concept that looks at how race relations have shaped the current social, cultural and legal world in the present time. It was banned from being taught in Texas classrooms in 2021. Paxton's office is accusing AISD's school board of breaking state law, and he wants to depose each trustee as part of the investigation. AISD said it does not comment on pending litigation. A press release from the AG's office accuses an AISD official of teaching with material from the 'banned' 1619 Project. 'Additionally, another employee stated that there were 'ways to get around' the state's ban on CRT and discussed that the district's board and superintendent are heavily involved in evaluating and setting policy for the district,' the release said. According to a court document, Accuracy in Media, a conservative nonprofit media group, filmed an 'undercover interview' in April 2022 with AISD's former Equity Officer, Dr. Stephanie Hawley. Texas educators worry bill limiting the teaching of historic racism, current events would 'whitewash history 'Dr. Hawley explained that the District used Newsela to introduce different viewpoints into the classroom and that 'progressive' teachers use Newsela and other resources to educate Kindergarten through third grade students,' a court document said. 'Dr. Hawley stated that Newsela 'lets us stay out of trouble with the Legislature' because it offers different perspectives.' The Attorney General's office added in its court filing that the instructional tool Newslea is linked to the 1619 Project, which has been banned in Texas. The 1619 Project, an initiative of the New York Times, looks to 'reframe the country's history by placing consequences of slavery and the the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.' Newslea, which launched in 2013, said it aims to provide what it calls meaningful classroom learning for all students. This story will be updated by Jala Washington. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
