Austin Current

Austin ISD is under threat of a state takeover. After years of failing scores at Burnet and Webb middle schools, the Texas Education Agency is required to intervene.

But what action it will take remains unclear.

TEA could strip the superintendent and elected board of trustees of power and replace them with its own appointees. It also could close the failing schools or take some other action.

How did the district get here?

Explore our interactive timeline:

Timeline: Austin ISD's path to state intervention - Austin Current Take our content — please! — You’re welcome to republish this article for free as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which includes using our canonical URL and pixel tracker on your story pages whenever possible.

Travis County's property tax rate is going up 2.5%. But the owner of a median-valued home could actually see the county portion of their tax bill fall by about $30.

That's one piece of a proposed $2.3 billion county budget heading for a final vote Sept. 29.

The spending plan would boost funding for disaster preparedness, housing, mental health and juvenile justice. It also includes more than $2 million that could be used to expand the county's contract with Axon, potentially including new security drones, a proposal drawing scrutiny from privacy advocates.

Austin Current's Sam Stark breaks down the budget, the tax implications and where the money would go.

Travis County weighs $2.3 billion budget Travis County approved a 2.5% higher tax rate ahead of a final $2.3 billion budget vote, where commissioners are likely to increase funding for disaster preparedness and mental health.

Austin ISD's state intervention risk now extends far beyond Burnet and Webb middle schools.

The Texas Education Agency reassigned the failing histories of six recently closed campuses to the schools receiving most of their students. Bailey Middle School earned a B last year, but it now carries four consecutive F ratings inherited from Paredes Middle School.

AISD consequently has nine schools with four unacceptable ratings, up from three. If any receives an F for this school year, it could trigger another path to state intervention.

Here's how TEA's decision changed the stakes for AISD schools and families:

Texas transfers failing ratings to six AISD schools Some AISD campuses that earned passing grades now carry the accountability histories of the schools the district closed.

Austin City Council members are demanding an independent and transparent investigation after an ICE officer shot 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez.

Austin police and the Texas Rangers plan to investigate, but local authorities may need federal officials to share evidence and cooperate before they can determine exactly what happened.

Austin leaders seek transparency in ICE shooting investigation Local investigators may need federal cooperation to determine what happened when an ICE officer shot a Venezuelan immigrant.

Environmental groups and residents in Southeast Austin have filed a lawsuit against City of Austin Government over the controversial Dog’s Head development. The lawsuit was filed by Save Our Springs, PODER and residents in Southeast Austin who argue the development agreement and financial mechanism behind the project are unconstitutional.

The lawsuit could prevent over $1 billion from being spent in taxpayer dollars over the next 35 years.

City leaders have praised the development as a rare financial opportunity for the city, but residents argue the agreements behind Dog’s Head are illegal and give developer Endeavor too much authority over decisions typically controlled by the city.

Dog's Head lawsuit seeks end to development agreement and financing plan - Austin Current Environmental groups and residents fighting the Dog’s Head development have filed suit against the City of Austin. The lawsuit, announced Monday, seeks to void both the development agreement and financing mechanism, which would prevent the city from using more than $1 billion in tax money to help ...

Austin ISD's latest attempt to avoid a possible state takeover could come down to just a few points.

The district has appealed the failing ratings of Burnet and Webb middle schools to the Texas Education Agency. Burnet fell one point short of a D. Webb fell two points short.

If both appeals succeed and the schools move to a D, Austin ISD could avoid the state intervention triggered by their fifth consecutive failing ratings.

Here's what we know about the appeal and what's at stake:

Austin ISD appeals Burnet, Webb ratings Burnet missed a D by one point and Webb by two, leaving Austin ISD a narrow path to overturn the ratings. If the two schools ratings rise, the district could stave off a state intervention.

The proposal sounds relatively straightforward: Parents at Burnet and Webb middle schools could petition their own campuses in hopes of preventing a state takeover of Austin ISD.

The reality is more complicated.

There are signature requirements and a fast-approaching deadline. And even if parents successfully petition to close their schools, TEA won't say whether the commissioner could still impose another intervention.

So how much power would a petition actually give them?

We break down the process, what Texas law says and what remains unclear.

Read more (our stories are never behind a paywall):

Could a parent petition save AISD from state takeover? AISD parents could petition to close Burnet and Webb middle schools, but TEA won’t say whether that would prevent a district takeover.

Austin City Council has already started moving toward taking 911 call-taking out of the Police Department. Now, a report commissioned by the city recommends keeping it there.

The consultants found Austin’s 911 operation is performing well, with more than 97% of calls answered within 15 seconds. But the report arrives amid a broader debate over emergency response, including how the city handles calls involving mental health crises.

The consultants will present their findings to City Council on Tuesday.

Read Sam Stark's story:

Austin 911 report recommends keeping call center in APD Report recommends keeping Austin’s 911 call center within APD, weeks after Council began creating a new independent office.