Austin, Texas-based Austin Independent School District, an educational system that operates 116 schools, including 78 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, and 17 high schools, is continuing with its restructuring initiative, which includes a 20% reduction in its central office staff.
The reduction will impact 170+ employees.
According to Superintendent Matias Segura...
Dear Austin ISD family,
Today was a difficult day as I notified our Central Staff of our reorganization. This restructure was necessary to align our administrative functions and reduce administrative costs while acknowledging the size of our district and our current needs.
We educate 73,000 students and every single person in this organization plays a role in their educational experience. The impact of this restructure and every individual affected will be felt.
However, as we work to close our budget deficit, this was a critical step before moving forward with any campus consolidations. Overall, more than 170 employees were impacted by these reductions, including position elimination, reduction in salary and/or reorganization. In total, these changes reflect a more than 20% reduction to Central Office staffing — an approximate savings of $9.6 million.
I recognize this is a very challenging time for our community and I encourage every student, staff and family member within Austin ISD to navigate this with empathy. This restructuring is only one step in a series of difficult conversations and decisions that must be made to ensure our district remains stable and we can maintain our ability to offer the highest quality education.
We are a strong community with strong schools and I know we’ll get through this together. I am confident that we have the commitment and knowledge within our district to create a future for Austin ISD that preserves our values and ultimately supports our greatest asset – our students.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Matias Segura, PE, MBA; Superintendent, Austin ISD
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
