“Whose schools? Our schools!” protesters chanted outside Austin ISD‘s central offices at I-35 and Ben White Boulevard during an April 28 rally. The crowd of more than 100 teachers, librarians, bus drivers, and other district employees gathered as the AISD Board of Trustees met inside. For the next several weeks, as the district solidifies its budget plans for the 2022-23 school year, the protesters hope the board listens to their calls for increased wages.
Led by Education Austin, the AISD staff union, the protest also included presences from Austin Voices for Education and Youth, the Democratic Socialists of America, and several other labor groups. After the speeches concluded, former council member and now congressional nominee Greg Casar led the protesters in a march around the parking lot.
The district has proposed a 2% minimum staff raise for the 2022-23 school year. Last year, the district’s annual raise was forgone because AISD failed to meet its target enrollment goals, but the rate of inflation locally is hovering at around 7% annually. Outside of Austin, suburban districts are already raising wages for employees in an effort to attract teachers; earlier this month, Lake Travis ISD announced it would offer a 7% raise to stem resignations among its educators.
The district has cited its declining enrollment and the strain of the state’s recapture program – which cost “property-rich” AISD $710 million in tax revenue this year that went instead to poor school districts elsewhere in the state – as limits to how generous it can be with wages. Although protesters say the district should be willing to dip into emergency reserves to help increase pay, the district has been hesitant to do so until it has identified a more sustainable financial model. Payroll costs currently account for 86% of the district’s budget.
This article appears in Abortion Rights.