Why is AISD an economic fail? (Austin: sales, real estate, home sales)

[rangergrit]

If you own a house here, you see your AISD taxes are the majority of your tax bill.

Austin is rapidly growing, yet AISD students are declining.

I haven't seen any rationale from either the city or AAS.


Is there an explanation better than the usual gobbledygook that govt employees use? Maybe, it would be "politically incorrect" to tell the truth.

[Trainwreck20]

Fewer school-aged kids living in the AISD boundaries? Families going to the suburbs? Robin Hood taking a massive amount of the tax revenue for schools? None of it is rocket science, I don't think.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by rangergrit

If you own a house here, you see your AISD taxes are the majority of your tax bill.

Austin is rapidly growing, yet AISD students are declining.

I haven't seen any rationale from either the city or AAS.


Is there an explanation better than the usual gobbledygook that govt employees use? Maybe, it would be "politically incorrect" to tell the truth.

about half of AISD taxes go to recapture. It has increased by about 100 million for the last few years.

As austin has lost students that has made the student/real estate value ratio even worse which means even more goes to recapture. You can see that the AISD budget hasnt increased that much, most of the increase in taxes has gone to recapture.

[ashbeeigh]

This is an older article, but just kind of hits the highlights of the district - https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...udents-by-2028

Originally Posted by Austin American's Statesman

That would continue annual enrollment drops over the past six years, as Austin-area students choose charter schools and families move to adjacent districts where the schools can be perceived as better and housing is less expensive.

The student projections are based on where students live, as well as where they attend school, giving insight on student population shifts and helping inform district leaders on possible school closures.

Among the report’s highlights:

• The number of school-aged children in single-and-multi-family housing units has declined, as home prices escalate.

• New home sales are flat, and multi-family units have fewer school aged children.

• The biggest student declines will be at the middle school level.

• Slight increases in birthrates beginning in 2016 will boost the size of kindergarten classes starting in 2022.

With all that said, there is explosive growth in the southwest part of Austin, because it is seen as a great part of the city. Campuses are at 125% enrollment and a new elementary will open next school year.

[ScoPro]

Well, the “Robin Hood” recapture school financing plan was Governor Ann Richards’ legacy - the crowning achievement of her administration, as she put it in her farewell speeches. Kinda funny how the media has forgotten that fact. Austin was fine at first when the “wealthy” districts were being soaked, until AISD had to step up to the plate and pay its fair share.
But the current set of state & local numbnuts in charge are too incompetent to figure out any viable solutions.

As far as the district’s operating budget goes, poor management, a vastly bloated administration, and wasteful programs have been AISD’s hallmark since I was first employed there 50 years ago. Nothing is going to change within that ingrained culture.

[Trainwreck20]

I am actually okay with RH as originally created. Back in the early to mid 2000s they 'fixed' some parameters instead of letting the be adjusted to reflect inflation and other factors. That lead to the current untenable situation. Initially, no one was getting 'soaked', eventually just about everyone will be. The amount paid into RH can actually far exceed the money paid out. It only has once or twice so far (apparently, I have not done the math), but if it continues as calculated a lot more will go to the general fund than gets paid out.

[centralaustinite]

Austin proper is too expensive, affordable housing is limited and 10 year waiting list. AISD families leave for Del Valle, Pf-ville, etc. chasing lower rents and lower home prices THEN property in Austin is constantly rising in value, so taxes are high and then recapture means that the bulk of that money is sent away from AISD to preopertypoor districts even though AISD is educating many poor kids who could use the extra resources.

I've been a private school parent (for more than a decade) AND a public school parent in AISD, I can only speak to the high school level but AISD preovides an excellent education! I was uniformly impressed withe the teachers, administrators, and staff. AISD does good work and I can only imagine what could be done if they got to keep more of their revenue.

[ScoPro]

Yes they do, and yes I would.

[Austin97]

people blame robin hood, but I blame the city council and AISD.

AISD gets the blame because they put social justice over education.

austin city council gets the blame because they refuse to enact policies that will increase density and therefore improve affordability for families.

The demand for mueller like density is incredibly high. The city needs to allow those to be built. Then AISD needs to make sure the schools that serve them are actually good by focusing on education not social justice.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by Austin97

AISD gets the blame because they put social justice over education.

Some examples and how it is hurting education?